The annals of art history occasionally present figures whose names echo closely, leading to potential confusion. Such is the case with August Lohr and August Loehr, both Austrians active in cultural fields during overlapping periods. While August Loehr (1882-1965) carved a significant path as a historian, numismatist, and museum director, the focus here is primarily on August Lohr (1842-1920), a notable painter celebrated for his evocative Alpine landscapes and his considerable contributions to the popular nineteenth-century medium of the panorama. Understanding Lohr the painter requires delving into his artistic training, his fascination with the natural world, his ambitious collaborative projects, and his place within the broader currents of European and American art of his time. We will also briefly touch upon the distinct career of August Loehr the historian to provide clarity.
Early Life and Artistic Formation
Born in Austria in 1842, August Lohr emerged during a period of rich artistic development in Central Europe. His formative years coincided with the Biedermeier period's lingering influence, emphasizing realism and domesticity, but also the rise of Romanticism and later, more objective Realism in landscape painting. Lohr sought formal training to hone his innate talents, notably studying at the prestigious Munich Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Munich, at the time, was a major artistic hub, rivaling Paris and Vienna, particularly strong in historical painting and realistic landscape traditions.
During his studies and early career, Lohr developed a profound affinity for the majestic scenery of the Alps. This was not unusual; the Alps had captivated artists for generations, from the sublime visions of Caspar David Friedrich and J.M.W. Turner to the more topographically precise renderings of earlier masters. Lohr's initial focus was on capturing the grandeur, the changing light, and the intricate details of these mountain environments. His training likely exposed him to various approaches, perhaps the detailed realism associated with the Düsseldorf school through painters like Oswald Achenbach, or the more atmospheric concerns of the Barbizon school filtering in from France.
His early works established him as a skilled landscape painter within the Austro-German tradition. He demonstrated a keen eye for observation, translating the rugged textures of rock faces, the soft drift of clouds, and the verdant hues of Alpine meadows onto canvas. These foundational years spent depicting the natural world provided him with the technical skills and the understanding of light and perspective that would prove essential for his later, large-scale works.
The Allure of the Alps
August Lohr's dedication to Alpine scenery places him among a distinguished group of artists who found inspiration in Europe's mountainous heartland. Unlike the dramatic, often symbolic mountainscapes of earlier Romantics like Friedrich, Lohr's approach, while certainly appreciating the sublime power of the Alps, tended towards a blend of realism and atmospheric sensitivity. He sought to convey not just the visual appearance but also the feeling of being within these imposing landscapes.
His style often incorporated meticulous detail in the foreground – rocks, flora, perhaps a rustic chalet – leading the viewer's eye towards distant, snow-capped peaks bathed in ethereal light. His use of color was rich and varied, capturing the cool blues and purples of mountain shadows, the warm golds of sunset on snow, and the vibrant greens of summer pastures. This careful balance between detailed rendering and evocative atmosphere was characteristic of much late 19th-century landscape painting, standing somewhat apart from the burgeoning Impressionist movement in France, led by figures like Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, which prioritized capturing fleeting moments of light and color with looser brushwork.
Lohr's Alpine works can be compared to those of contemporaries like Swiss painter Alexandre Calame, who was renowned for his dramatic Alpine views, or even the grand, expansive canvases of the American West by Albert Bierstadt, who also studied in Germany and shared an interest in monumental natural spectacles. Lohr’s contribution lies in his consistent focus on the Austrian and Bavarian Alps, rendering them with both technical proficiency and a palpable sense of reverence. These landscapes formed the bedrock of his reputation before he embarked on the collaborative and technically demanding world of panorama painting.
Embracing the Panorama
In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the panorama emerged as a hugely popular form of public entertainment and visual spectacle. These massive, cylindrical paintings, often housed in purpose-built rotundas, aimed to immerse the viewer completely within a scene, typically a famous battle, historical event, or exotic landscape. Creating these colossal artworks required not only artistic skill but also logistical organization, historical research, and often, the collaborative efforts of numerous artists working under a lead painter. August Lohr, with his established skills in landscape and potentially historical scenes, transitioned into this demanding field.
His involvement often took the form of collaboration. The provided records indicate he worked with Professor Ludwig Braun, a prominent German battle painter, on significant projects like the Panorama of the Battle of Sedan. This Franco-Prussian War battle was a popular subject, embodying nationalist sentiment and historical drama. Lohr also contributed to panoramas depicting other key battles of the same conflict, such as the Battle of Wörth and the Battle of Gravelotte (St. Privat). Working alongside established figures like Braun provided invaluable experience in managing the scale, perspective distortions, and narrative demands inherent in panorama creation.
These collaborations highlight the specialized nature of panorama production. Often, different artists would focus on specific elements – landscapes, figures, horses, architectural details – under the direction of a master painter who ensured stylistic coherence and overall effect. Lohr's background in landscape likely made him particularly valuable for rendering the settings of these historical events accurately and evocatively. This phase marked a significant shift from solitary studio work to large-scale, team-based artistic production, reflecting a unique aspect of 19th-century art practice. Other artists known for military scenes, like Édouard Detaille in France, often saw their work inform or inspire such panoramic depictions.
American Ventures and the Panorama Boom
The allure of the panorama was not confined to Europe; it experienced a significant boom in the United States during the 1880s. Seeking new opportunities, August Lohr ventured across the Atlantic. In 1884, he co-founded the American Panorama Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, alongside William Wehner. This enterprise aimed to capitalize on the American public's appetite for immersive historical and scenic representations. Lohr's role was pivotal, often involving supervising the artistic production and ensuring the quality of these massive canvases.
The company produced several successful panoramas. While the Battle of Sedan was recreated or brought over, they also tackled American subjects, potentially including scenes from the Civil War like the Storming of Missionary Ridge or the Battle of Atlanta, which were extremely popular subjects for panoramas shown across the US. Another notable work mentioned in connection with Lohr and Wehner's company is the Cyclone at Sea (or Atlantic Cyclone), demonstrating a move towards depicting dramatic natural events alongside historical battles. These works required immense effort, often employing teams of German-trained artists brought over specifically for these projects.
One significant venue for showcasing these works was the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition held in New Orleans in 1884-1885. Exhibiting panoramas at such major public fairs guaranteed large audiences and cemented the medium's popularity. Lohr's involvement placed him at the heart of this American phenomenon. He was working concurrently with other major panorama creators active in the US, such as the French painter Paul Philippoteaux, whose Gettysburg Cyclorama became an enduring American icon. Lohr's American period represents a key chapter in his career, demonstrating his adaptability and his engagement with international art markets and popular culture.
Further Collaborations and Later Works
August Lohr's collaborative spirit continued throughout his career. Records indicate he worked with the artist Frederick Heine on a panorama titled Jerusalem on the Day of the Crucifixion. This religious subject was another common theme for panoramas, appealing to a different audience segment than the military spectacles. Such works required careful historical and archaeological research to depict the city and the event convincingly, showcasing the versatility demanded of panorama artists.
Later in his career, Lohr was involved in a project in San Francisco depicting the Battle of Manila Bay, a significant event from the Spanish-American War (1898). This suggests Lohr remained active in the panorama field well into the later stages of his working life, adapting to new historical subjects as they captured public interest. The creation of such works often involved numerous artists, highlighting the complex network of painters, assistants, and entrepreneurs involved in the panorama industry.
Despite his extensive work on these large-scale, often ephemeral, productions, Lohr continued to create easel paintings. One specific work mentioned as representative is Chapala Lake. This likely depicts the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, suggesting Lohr undertook travels beyond Europe and the United States, or worked from photographic sources, a common practice at the time. This painting would presumably showcase his enduring skill in landscape, perhaps reflecting a more personal artistic vision compared to the collaborative demands of panoramas. It stands as a reminder of his roots in landscape painting, a genre he returned to alongside his more spectacular public works. His later life saw the decline of the panorama's popularity with the rise of cinema, but his contributions remain significant. He passed away in 1920.
August Lohr's Artistic Legacy
August Lohr occupies an interesting position in late 19th and early 20th-century art history. He was a highly competent landscape painter, working within the established traditions of Alpine representation, blending realism with atmospheric sensitivity. His works in this genre contributed to the rich tapestry of Central European landscape painting, standing alongside contemporaries who explored similar themes, though perhaps overshadowed by artists pursuing more radical stylistic innovations like the Impressionists or Symbolists such as Arnold Böcklin.
However, his most distinctive contribution arguably lies in his extensive involvement in the world of panoramas. He was not merely a painter but a collaborator, supervisor, and co-founder of a major panorama company in the United States. This engagement with a popular, quasi-industrial form of art production sets him apart from many easel painters of his era. He successfully navigated the technical, logistical, and artistic challenges of creating these immersive spectacles, contributing to historical, military, and religious subjects that captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
While most panoramas themselves were ephemeral – victims of changing tastes, fires, or disassembly – the historical record of Lohr's involvement underscores the significance of this medium in 19th-century visual culture. His career bridged the gap between traditional landscape painting and large-scale popular entertainment, demonstrating considerable versatility and adaptability. He remains a notable figure for his Alpine scenes and, perhaps more uniquely, for his role in the international phenomenon of the panorama. His collaborators like Ludwig Braun, Franz Biberstein, William Wehner, and Frederick Heine, as well as contemporaries in the field like Paul Philippoteaux, form part of this specific historical context.
Distinguishing the Painter from the Historian: August Loehr (1882-1965)
To avoid confusion, it is essential to clearly distinguish August Lohr the painter (1842-1920) from August Loehr the historian and numismatist (1882-1965). Born four decades after the painter, August Loehr pursued an academic career focused on Austrian history and the study of coins and currency (numismatics). He received his education at the Universities of Vienna and Heidelberg, earning a doctorate in 1905 with a dissertation on Danube shipping in the late 14th century.
His professional life centered around Vienna's prestigious institutions. He became a member of the Institute of Austrian Historical Research (Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung) and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. In 1906, he joined the Imperial Coin Cabinet (later the Münzkabinett of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, KHM) as a research fellow, eventually becoming its director in 1913. His expertise extended beyond numismatics; he also lectured on legal history at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Law.
His academic contributions were recognized in 1929 when he was awarded the title of honorary professor, specializing in the history of money and currency. His career faced severe disruption during the Nazi era. Classified as a "Mischling ersten Grades" (a person of mixed Jewish and Aryan ancestry, first degree) under the Nuremberg Laws, he was forced into retirement in 1938. Despite this persecution, he was later able to resume some activities, and significantly, in 1942, he was appointed the first director of the newly conceived Museum of Austrian Culture (Museum für österreichische Kultur), intended to be housed within the Neue Burg wing of the Hofburg Palace, though its full realization was hampered by the war. He also taught art history during this period.
The Historian's Contributions and Controversies
August Loehr's primary contributions lie in the fields of Austrian history and numismatics. He authored the seminal work Österreichische Geldgeschichte (Austrian Monetary History), published in 1946, which became a cornerstone text in the field. The provided text also mentions a 1936 publication, possibly related, described as the first national catalogue including paper money and other monetary documents. His expertise was practical as well as academic; he collaborated with Professor Holzer on coin exhibitions at Vienna's City Hall and made personal donations of badges and medals to the Vienna Municipal Collections in 1926. He published numerous articles in scholarly journals like the Numismatische Zeitschrift.
His career was not without complexity or controversy. Beyond the persecution he faced under the Nazis, his earlier role as an advisor to the Austrian National Bank during the period leading up to and potentially including the Anschluss raised questions for some after the war, although his forced retirement in 1938 complicates any simple narrative. Post-World War II, he played a crucial role in the cultural reconstruction of Austria. He became the first director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) in Vienna after the war, tasked with the monumental challenge of overseeing the return and restitution of artworks displaced or looted during the conflict. He also chaired a commission investigating the political backgrounds of museum staff, a necessary but fraught process in the denazification era.
Furthermore, his academic work, while foundational, may have encountered disagreements within the historical or numismatic communities of his time, as is common in scholarly pursuits. His collaboration with Holzer in revising Miller's work on Austrian coinage points to his active engagement within the academic network. August Loehr's legacy is primarily that of a highly influential museum director, numismatist, and historian who navigated exceptionally turbulent times, making lasting contributions to the preservation and understanding of Austria's cultural and monetary heritage.
Conclusion
The lives and works of August Lohr (1842-1920) and August Loehr (1882-1965) offer distinct windows into Austrian cultural life spanning the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. August Lohr, the painter, dedicated his skills to capturing the beauty of the Alps and immersing the public in the grand spectacles of panorama painting, collaborating with artists like Ludwig Braun and William Wehner and participating actively in the international art scene of his day. His legacy resides in his landscape canvases and his significant role within the now largely vanished world of the panorama.
August Loehr, the historian and numismatist, made his mark through meticulous scholarship, curation of Vienna's renowned coin collection, and vital leadership in preserving Austria's cultural heritage, particularly in the challenging post-war era. His work, including Österreichische Geldgeschichte, remains fundamental for scholars. While their names might cause momentary confusion, their contributions were unique and significant within their respective fields of painting and history. Recognizing the distinct paths of these two individuals enriches our understanding of the diverse cultural landscape of their time.
