Carl Von Marr

An American-born German painter popularized for embedding religion and mythological themes into his work, Carl Von Marr (1858-1936) was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He had trained in art under multiple painters like Henry Vianden, Martin Schaub, Karl Gussow and Otto Seitz in places like Milwaukee, Weimar, and Berlin. Also, he had studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Munich. As a student, Carl von Marr had received incredible success and won a sketch competition at the Munich Academy.

Carl von Marr was popularized by his painting The Flagellants, which is also considered as his magnum opus. It is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Wisconsin Art and was a sensational success. He received great acclaim for his paintings, teaching activities and curating multiple international exhibits. Marr’s versatility was visible in multiple styles including academic realism, impressionism, symbolism, decorative arts, among others.

Carl von Marr had started out by painting landscapes and scenarios of peasants working. Initially having a sombre palette, he created multiple depictions of religious figures and indulged in mythological subjects. With time, Marr explored more styles and adopted a brighter palette having a wider chromatic range. From portraits of people to paintings of a cat, Marr perfected the art of creating a subtle atmosphere in his work.

Carl von Marr was an award-winning artist whose work was exhibited internationally in multiple museums. Also, he had curated multiple exhibitions. He was a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts, and also worked as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. His magnum opus The Flagellants had received multiple gold medals at the Munich Exposition, International Exhibition in Berlin and the Columbian International Exposition.  Carl von Marr lived and worked in Munich till his demise.