Gallery
Paintings by Johann Rudolf Bühlmann (1802 - 1890)
Swiss Cabinet, c.1867
This Swiss cabinet is an intriguing piece of furniture. On the outside, it is beautifully carved depicting themes related to the Swiss Alps, from an unconscious hunter being rescued by his dog to mermen and mermaids. It is a huge surprise to open the doors and find a selection of landscape paintings. Both the inside of the doors and all twelve inner drawers are decorated with individual Swiss scenes. The landscapes depict some of Switzerland's famous mountains and mountain ranges such as the Matterhorn, Wetterhorn and Jungfrau.
Johann Rudolf Bühlmann
Bühlmann began his studies with the Swiss painter and theatre set designer Jakob Heinrich Reutlinger. Between 1836 and 1871 he travelled to Italy where he studied the country's mountains, using these studies to create compositions reproduced later on. The images on the Swiss Cabinet suggest that Bühlmann also spent time studying the Swiss mountains during his career.
Activities, discussions and questions
» Why would you paint landscapes on the inside of a cabinet
that is already beautifully carved on the outside?
» Do an Internet search for the main mountain ranges in Switzerland.
Can you recognise some of the ones depicted inside the Swiss Cabinet?
Have they been painted accurately and/or have they changed at all since
the paintings were done?
» Can you spot any common compositional techniques used across
all/most of the paintings?
» Do you think the whole of each scene is depicted as the artist
actually saw it or do you think there have been additions to the painting
to improve its overall appearance?
» Design/create an object that is both useful and attractive
to the eye, which incorporates decorative features on the inside as
well as the outside.
Paintings by Johann Rudolf Bühlmann (1802 - 1890)
Swiss Cabinet, c.1867
Material: Wood and oil paint
Dimensions: 175 cm x 115 cm x 47 cm
Place made: Switzerland
Accession No: F.W.124
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