Norwegian German – master of gloomy but magical sunsets (23 photos)
This master is an example of a bright and at the same time unique representative of the Düsseldorf school of painting of the 19th century. 
Ludwig Munthe (1841-1896) was born in Aøren (Norway). He studied with Franz Wilhelm Schierz, and then moved to Düsseldorf, where he apprenticed with Albert Flamm. 
Ludwig Munthe
The main direction of the painter’s work was realism. Munthe preferred gray and various shades of ocher, ignoring brightness and multicolor along with the careful construction of the composition.
Using halftones, the painter created amazing landscapes, which were inspired by nature and classical Dutch painting. The main theme of the story was sunsets, mostly in winter, surrounded by gloomy and anxious anticipation.
Sometimes Ludwig also painted city landscapes. The main feature of the artist’s paintings was impeccable color harmony. He preferred to paint winter and autumn landscapes at sunset or in the approaching twilight, which allowed him to see and convey special colors. Another common technique was landscapes created after a thunderstorm or storm.
People in Munthe's paintings are rare, and if they were depicted, they were sketchy. Ludwig's canvases demonstrate that his favorite theme was the unstable, restless state of nature, which perhaps conveyed the inner state of the artist himself, while simultaneously demonstrating the variety of colors of late autumn and winter, which are difficult to see and consider. 
