Collection: Johann Erdmann Hummel

Johann Erdmann Hummel was born on 11 September 1769 in Kassel, Germany. He trained at the Kunsthochschule Kassel from 1780 to 1792, then resided in Rome between 1792 and 1799. There, he associated with German landscape painters who opposed the dominant classical style represented by Anton Raphael Mengs.

In Rome, Hummel focused on mythological subjects, including "Apollo Granting Phaeton Permission to Drive the Chariot of the Sun" and "Diana and Endymion", both painted around 1695. After returning to Germany, he settled in Berlin, where he became a professor at the Berlin Academy of Arts. His later works, such as "In a Railway Carriage (After a Night's Journey)" (1851), reflect contemporary themes and precise architectural perspectives.

Hummel’s work aligns with the Biedermeier movement, emphasizing clarity and domestic realism. His technical precision in perspective and composition influenced 19th-century German academic painting.