The Path from Lithography to Landscape
Josef Schertel began his professional life far from the canvas, learning the precise, repetitive work of a lithographer through an apprenticeship. This early training in printmaking likely shaped how he observed light and texture. Later, he moved toward more formal studies, attending the History Class at the Munich Academy. It was during this time that he formed a close bond with his teacher, Christian Ernst Bernhard Morgenstern, a relationship that would influence his approach to the natural world for years to come.
His focus eventually settled on the landscapes of Upper Bavaria. He spent much of his time working in the areas surrounding Munich and the foothills of the Alps. His work often captures the specific atmosphere of these regions, focusing on the movement of water and the weight of the sky.
Observations of the Bavarian Landscape
In his oil paintings, Schertel looked closely at the changing weather and the quiet moments of rural life. One particular work from 1849 shows a scene at Starnberger See, where two fishermen pull a boat laden with the day's catch toward the shore. A mother and her small child watch from the land, positioned near a farmhouse tucked among thick trees and shrubs.
The details in his work often point to an approaching storm. He painted the deep blue of the water, the white foam on the waves, and the dark clouds gathering overhead. The branches of the trees appear heavy and bent, mirroring the tension in the air. Through these small, concrete elements, he recorded the shifting moods of the Alpine landscape.
