Carl Werner (1808-1894) – Preparatory Sketch for Painting of Western Wall

Carl Werner (1808-1894) – Preparatory Sketch for Painting of Western Wall

Carl Werner, preparatory sketch for painting of Western Wall. [1860s or 1870s].
Pencil on paper; unsigned and undated.
Preparatory sketch for a well-known watercolor painting by the German painter Carl Werner, depicting Jews at prayer at the Western Wall. Shown in the foreground are women at prayer, and next to them, men in assorted costumes.
Carl Werner created two versions of this watercolor. The first was made in 1863, immediately after his return from a journey to the Holy Land. In the second, from 1879, two figures were added – a woman and child. The present sketch is identical to the first version in all aspects other than the fact that the figure of the woman from the second version appears in the bottom right corner – though only in the form of an outline superimposed over details depicted earlier.
Both versions of Werner’s watercolor are considered among the most renowned of his works, and both have been offered for public auction in recent years (see Christie’s, London, July 2008, lot no. 74; Sotheby’s, London, October 2021, lot no. 18).

Carl Werner, German watercolor artist and architect, native of Weimar. Conducted lengthy journeys, documented in his paintings, to southern Europe and the Levant. Visited the Holy Land and Egypt for the first time in 1862; the realistic watercolors he created in the course of this mission and shortly thereafter were rich in detail and were critically acclaimed. Published a volume of reproductions of his paintings titled "Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Holy Places" (London, 1885). The success of this publication attracted numerous commissions for new paintings, and it was in this context that Werner created the later version of his painting of the Western Wall.

Approx. 54.5X40 cm. Good condition. Sketch has undergone professional restoration. Matted, mounted onto thick plate. Incl. matte frame (68X53.5 cm). Segment missing from lower corner, professionally and artfully restored. Few stains. Minute holes and small tears. Edges of sketch unevenly cropped.