The Life and Academic Career of Wilhelm Sohn
Johann August Wilhelm Sohn was a German genre painter and art professor born in Berlin, Germany. He pursued his artistic education at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, studying under Rudolf Wiegmann, Theodor Hildebrandt, Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow, and his uncle, Karl Ferdinand Sohn. His early artistic endeavors focused on Biblical history scenes, such as Christ on the Stormy Waters. However, after discovering the Dutch Masters, his focus shifted toward genre painting.
Sohn’s career was marked by significant academic achievements and personal transitions. In 1874, he was named the first Professor of Genre Painting. His professional responsibilities were extensive, including presiding over a popular painting school for women and working intermittently for thirty years on a monumental commission for the National Gallery. In 1895, he resigned his professorship and moved to Pützchen, near Bonn, to care for his son. He died in Pützchen in 1899.
Artistic Style and Notable Works
The works of Wilhelm Sohn often reflect a fine, careful treatment reminiscent of the best Dutch painters. His 1866 painting, Consultation with the Lawyer, exemplifies this technique, depicting an old lady seeking an advocate regarding an inheritance dispute, accompanied by a young girl dressed in black. This piece is noted for its poignant truth and the expressive quality of the faces. Another notable work in our collection is Oriental Street Scene with Mosque, Minaret and Merchants on a Forecourt, dated 1885.
