Ein lieber Besuch

Künstler*in Max Kurzweil (1867 Bisenz/ Bzenec – 1916 Wien)

Object typeGemälde
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
94 x 125 cm
SignatureSign. und dat. rechts unten: Kurzweil / 1894
Inventory number8221
Locations Derzeit nicht ausgestellt
A horse led by a soldier enters the sickroom of an ailing man through the open door off a barracks courtyard covered in wintry snow. The patient is carefully raised in bed by another soldier. The weakened man keeps his eyes closed but his hand is raised loving greeting. The Viennese painter Max Kurzweil created this emotionally touching scene with a narrative flair. The patient’s condition seems very serious. Perhaps the meeting with the “dear visitor” of the title also portends a permanent parting. Kurzweil’s depiction of a commonplace soldier’s life corresponds to a realistic outlook on art. Only a few years later, however, he would turn his attention entirely to Viennese Art Nouveau.