Anton von Werner

Französischer Infanterist mit Marschgepäck (Soldat in voller Montur), 1882

Gemälde von Anton von Werner, Öl auf Pappe, 27 x 20,2 cm

Anton von Werner (1843–1915), Französischer Infanterist mit Marschgepäck (Soldat in voller Montur), 1882

Genre Painting
Materials Oil on cardboard
Size 27 x 20,2 cm
Signature signed bottom left: AvW. 1882

Restored with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung

Research status

Provenance is unclear and research continues.

The clue is in the phone number

When Anton von Werner died in 1915, this little study of a French soldier was still in his possession. It was probably done at his studio in the villa that still stands at Potsdamer Strasse 81a. In 1886 he transferred the motif to his painting “Prisoners of War”, acquired by the Berlinische Galerie from a private owner in 1977.

Gemälde von Anton von Werner, Öl auf Leinwand, 106 x 157 cm

The painting “Prisoners of War” by Anton von Werner. The French infantryman from the study is in the middle.

Anton von Werner, Kriegsgefangen (Oktober 1870), 1886

© Copyright has expired, Repro: Kai-Annett Becker
Fotodruck des Gemäldes von Anton von Werner, schwarz-weiß

In 1979 the Berlinische Galerie acquired a heliogravure, probably from an edition published around 1900 by Franz Hanfstaengl in Munich. It demonstrates the popularity of this scene from the Franco-Prussian War in 1870/71.

Heliogravure of the painting "Kriegsgefangen" by Anton von Werner

© Repro: Anja Elisabeth Witte

“French Infantryman with Kit” came to the Berlinische Galerie from the estate of Waldemar Grzimek. The Berlin-based sculptor had created a collection for study purposes. He did not record where he acquired most of the items, and the sketch by Anton von Werner is no exception. However, fragments of a sticker on the back of the painting gave researchers their first lead. As it turned out, the telephone number had once belonged to art dealer Johanna Ohloff. The address Gieselerstrasse 13 in Wilmersdorf in the Berlin telephone directory for 1940 tallied with the few remaining letters still legible on the sticker.

Thanks to these details, a search can be triggered for biographical and residential data about Johanna Ohloff. This can be followed up by research into the heirs and any surviving records from her company.

Rückseite eines Bilderrahmens, Detailansicht eines Aufklebers mit Text und handschriftlichen Notizen

Remains of a permanent sticker on the back of the painting. The few details offer a promising lead for research.

Anton von Werner, Französischer Infanterist mit Marschgepäck (Soldat in voller Montur), 1882 (Back, Detail)

© Repro: Kai-Annett Becker
Telefonbuch, Detailansicht eines Telefonbuchs mit Kontaktdaten der Kunsthandlung Johanna Ohloff

The phone number on the back of the painting laid the trail to an entry for Johanna Ohloff in the Berlin telephone directory for 1940.

Telephone number in the Berlin telephone directory, 1940

© Repro: Zentrale Landesbibliothek Berlin, Public Domain