(Karlsruhe 1842-1922 Baden-Baden)
Lady Absinth (Arcade, Avenue of Sighs), monogrammed, dated FK (ligature) 1901, oil on canvas, 89 x 116 cm, framed, (W)

Exhibited:
Große Kunstausstellung, Berlin 1901. Catalogued and illustrated in Michael Koch, Ferdinand Keller (1842-1922). Leben und Werk, Karlsruhe 1978, p. 108, no. 316.
The work was previously thought to be lost.
Ferdinand Keller achieved recognition for his historical paintings, as well as landscapes and decorative painting. As a young man he accompanied his father on a four year visit to Brazil where he taught himself to draw. On his return he began his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe in 1862, first attending drawing classes before transferring to study landscape painting with Johann Wilhelm Schirmer. When Viennese painter Hans Canon came to Karlsruhe in 1864, Keller took lessons at his studio. There he learned the principles of painting figures and the effects of colouring. This period was followed by study trips to Switzerland and France, and a longer visit to Rome. In 1870, following widespread acclaim for his historical painting The Death of Philipp ll of Spain, he was appointed by Friedrich l to teach portrait and history painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe. This painting gave his career a major boost and encouraged a broad range of commissions, from clients in the upper middle classes, the nobility, the church and the general citizenry. Ferdinand Keller’s work spans a wide range of genres including monumental wall frescos, small illustrations, medallions and theatrical scenery.
Towards the end of the 19th Century Ferdinand Keller devoted himself to mystical views of nature, as in the present lot which was previously believed to have been lost. Veiled in mist, a figure walks along a path flanked by autumnal trees. Titled Avenue of Sighs when shown at the Große Berliner Kunstaustellung 1901, it conveys a scene full of hidden secrets and is reminiscent of the works of Arnold Böcklin