Tina Blau

Tina Blau was born in Vienna in 1845 and is one of the most importand female painters, alongside Olga Wisinger-Florian, who fought for their rightful place next to their overwhelmingly male colleagues. Aged 14 she started taking painting lessons, even without instructions she enjoyed painting in nature. Wilhelm Lindenschmit and August Schaeffer became her most important teachers and supporters. During her first stay in munich, from 1869 until 1874, the innovations of french landscape paintings became more and more important for the young artist, especially the Peinair-painting. This development was also supported in Vienna, where she met Emil Jakob Schindler, Eugen Jettel, Franz Rumpler and Hugo Charlemont. In the featured painting, Tina Blau captures the Dutch city Dordrecht, located in Southern Holland. Annually, she visited Holland between 1905 and 1908, as she appreciated the very specific soft lighting of the dutch landscape. The painting shows the still and calm Gracht, which leads to to the Grote Kerk. The gothic church rises in the middle of the painting in the background and is emphasized by the dramatic, looming clouds. At the same time the old church seems tiny in comparison to the huge mass of them. This dramatic and dynamic atmosthere stands in stark contrast to the calm and seemingly abandoned cityscape in the foreground. Tina Blau is a master of achieving this type of tension with broad brushstrokes to capture the atmosphere of the subjects she chooses to depict.