Hermann Corrodi (1844-1905), Sunset on the Nile

Hermann Corrodi (Rome 1844-1905), “Sunset on the Nile”, second half of the 19th century.
Oil on canvas, 67x127 cm.
Signed “H. Corrodi” lower left.

"Sunset on the Nile" by Hermann Corrodi is a large canvas depicting a splendid Egyptian landscape. The painting shows the sunset over one of the river’s indentations, creating a lagoon, from which a small white stone port overlooks; in the foreground, two veiled women rinse their wicker baskets in the water.
Sitting next to some steps, a group of men and women are conversing, while a little further ahead, with his torso turned towards the sea, a man with a white turban is captured in an attitude of prayer, kneeling on a carpet. In the distance, next to the characteristic cubic houses, we find a gendarme on horseback escorting a sedan chair supported by three servants, with a mysterious character inside. The background of the scene is dominated by a lush nature, composed of holm oaks, wild olive trees and date palms, typical of the Mediterranean scrub, from which the imposing tower of a mosque in the nearby city stands out. On the left, a sailboat, cradled by the calm river waters, heads towards the horizon where the sun dies. The sky is set ablaze with orange and pink shades, which contrast with the earthy greens of the flora and the alabaster of the port surfaces; the sunset reflects on the placid surface of the river as if it were a mirror, offering an exquisitely poetic work overall. Sunset on the Nile, like other landscapes by the artist, reflects the unique vision of a cosmopolitan painter by choice.


BIOGRAPHY

Hermann Corrodi was born in 1844 to the Zurich painter Salomon Corrodi. Corrodi's father was of Italian origin and despite his Swiss origins and studies, he moved first to Milan and then to Florence, where he met and married a rich fellow countryman; finally he went to Rome, the city where he settled permanently. Hermann Corrodi was born in the province of Rome, in the municipality of Frascati, in the summer house where the family used to spend their holidays. Together with his younger brother Arnold, Hermann was initially trained in painting by his father in a naturalism rich in light and chromatic effects; the two brothers were subsequently sent to Geneva, where they studied under the guidance of the painter and engraver Alexandre Calame, and then returned to Rome, completing their studies at the Accademia di San Luca. In 1866 he joined an association of German painters in the city, the Deutsches Künstlerverein. The two Corrodis then set off for Europe, coming into contact with established artists and wealthy clients; in Paris, where they went in 1872, they met the painters of historical and neoclassical scenes Ernst Meissonier and Jean-Léon Gérôme, and then stayed briefly in London as guests of the Dutch painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema. At the end of the year they visited the international exhibition in Munich; at the beginning of 1873 they stayed a few weeks in Capri and then went to the annual exhibition in Vienna, where Hermann Corrodi was awarded a gold medal for a painting of his entitled Bosco di pini. In 1874 his brother Arnold, with whom he shared a studio in Rome, died prematurely and Hermann fell into a deep depression that interrupted his artistic activity. Having overcome his mourning two years later, he resumed his painting career; following his marriage to an English woman, he managed to obtain recognition and commissions from England as well. He then resumed the travels that characterized his youth, this time moving to the East, which the artist was fascinated by as the cradle of the most important monotheistic religions. Corrodi visited Constantinople, then Syria and Egypt; among his most important clients we remember the German Emperor Wilhelm II, who bought the canvas The Sacred Fountain in Front of the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem for his private collection, while the English royals bought some of his Cypriot views. During the summer months he moved to Germany, where in Baden-Baden and Homburg he held painting studios for the nobles and the imperial court. In 1892 yet another tragedy struck Corrodi: his Roman home-studio, where the painter kept all his works, as well as the collection of oriental objects and the paintings of his deceased brother, caught fire; the fire was devastating. At the beginning of the 20th century he commissioned a palace for his new home-studio, with an adjoining space to dedicate to his exhibitions; Unfortunately, Corrodi died prematurely in 1905, without ever seeing his home completed.
Even after the destructive fire of 1892, the painter's works are rare and difficult to find, mainly kept by private collectors; two of his watercolors are present in the Galleria comunale of Palazzo Braschi, while the landscape Napoleon's tower in Corsica is exhibited in the rooms of Palazzo Montecitorio. Other paintings of his are preserved in Zurich, including the engravings of river landscapes and the oil on canvas Charles V's tower near La Spezia. The English royal picture gallery houses the works purchased by Queen Victoria, including Roman views, Queen Victoria on the terrace of Villa Palmieri and Sirens in a cave in Capri.