A Life in Prague
Emil Johann Lauffer lived much of his life within the borders of Bohemia. Born in 1837 to a pharmacist named Ferdinand Lauffer and Amalia Spatzier, he grew up in a household where science and literature were present; his brother, Ferdinand Josef Lauffer, would later find his own way through poetry. His early training took him to the Vienna Art Academy, where he studied under Christian Ruben. This period of formal instruction shaped the way he approached the canvas.
In 1865, he moved to Prague. He did not merely remain a painter in the city but became part of its academic fabric, serving as a teacher at the Technical University and eventually taking on the role of Director of the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague. His presence in the city was marked by this steady commitment to both the practice of painting and the instruction of others.
The Canvas and the Narrative
His work often turned toward the weight of history and legend. One can see this in his 1879 oil painting, Kriemhild’s Accusation, which depicts a heavy moment from the Nibelungenlied where Kriemhild confronts Gunther and Hagen regarding the death of her husband, Siegfried. The scale of such works was often large, with this particular piece measuring 191 cm in height and 300 cm in width.
Lauffer’s brush captured scenes that felt grounded in drama, such as Cervantes Captured by Barbary Pirates. His approach leaned toward Romanticism, focusing on the tension within the frame. The details of his compositions often centered on:
- The heavy textures of oil on canvas.
- The depiction of historical and literary figures in moments of conflict.
- A focus on large-scale figurative arrangements.
Final Years
By the time he passed away on 31 May 1909, Lauffer had left behind a body of work held in collections such as the National Gallery Prague. His life moved from the pharmacy of his father to the lecture halls of the academy, leaving a record of his time through these painted scenes of accusation and capture.
