A Life in Paint and Light
Arnold Overbeck was a German landscape painter and portrait photographer. Born in Lübeck, Germany, he was the third son of Johannes Overbeck and a grandson of the Lübeck mayor Christian Adolph Overbeck. His artistic journey led him to the Düsseldorf Art Academy, where he studied under the landscape painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer. Between 1855 and 1857, Overbeck traveled through Italy, a period that produced his work Landschaft aus dem Sabinergebirge, which is held in the collection of the Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus in Lübeck.
In the latter part of the 1850s, he settled in Düsseldorf, becoming a member of the Malkasten artists' association. His professional life was deeply intertwined with photography; in 1863, he became a co-owner of the photographic studio Gebr. G. & A. Overbeck alongside his brother Gustav. While his brother engaged in landscape and architectural photography, Arnold distinguished himself as a portrait photographer and worked with an early form of color photography known as chromophotography.
Artistic Legacy and Studio Work
Overbeck’s photographic career was marked by his ability to capture the likenesses of prominent figures, including the painter Wilhelm Camphausen. His studio work contributed to various formats, such as the cabinet format and the carte de visite, some of which have found their way into museum collections. In 1871, he established his own independent studio in Düsseldorf.
His collaborative efforts also extended to published works, such as the 1864 Shakspeare-Album, which featured various costume figures from the Shakespeare festival and was produced by the Malkasten artists' society. Following his death in Düsseldorf, his children continued to operate the studio located at Königsallee 43.
