SPECKTER; ERWIN
Hamburg 1806 - 1835 - attributed

Double Portrait of the Young Painter Carl Julius Milde (1803-1875) and Friedrich Nerly (1807-1878). Before 1823. Oil on canvas. 24 x 19cm. Framed.

Literature:
Neuhaus; Julia M.: "Vom Kuhhirten zum kleinen Grafen". Friedrich Nerlys Begegnungen mit
K黱stlern und herausragenden Pers鰊lichkeiten in Hamburg; Rom und Venedig. In: "R鰉ische
Tage -Venezianische N鋍hte. Friedrich Nerly zum 200. Geburtstag". Catalogue for the exhibition in Dessau; L黚eck and Paderborn 2007/2008; ed. by W. Morath-Vogel; p. 12 ill. 1.

The two young painters are sitting together and are engrossed in their anatomic studies. One of them is holding a book in his hands; the other is holding a horse's cranial. Another painter friend; who is practicing portraying and puts special emphasis on perspectives and the folds of the clothes; has recorded this scene. This situation leads us into the early 19th century and shows us a young Hamburg circle of friends of which some became important painters.
In 1818 Johann Michael Speckter; the father of this scene's painter; and Heinrich Joachim Herterich; the uncle of the depicted Friedrich Nerlys; founded the first North German stone printing in Hamburg; where the young Nerly was an apprentice. Since his father passed away very early he was furthermore received as a family member and also joined Speckter's children Erwin (1806-1835) and Otto's (1807-1871)) circle of friends. Later he said that this was his "golden age". Here he also met the later painters Carl Julius Milde (1803-1875); Julius Oldach (1804-1830); and Adolf Vollmer (1806-1875).

In her catalogue contribution for Nerly's jubilee exhibition Julia Neuhaus describes this period in reference to the present painting: "The father Speckter's copper engraving collection offered a lot of visuals and this was also where Nerly got to know his later teacher and mentor Carl Friedrich von Rumohr. (...) At the Speckters' the boys drew and studied together very much; this is very well illustrated in the painting by an unknown artist. In this work two of the boys; being the young Friedrich Nehrlich and Carl
Julius Milde; contemplate an animal's skull and at the same time a book with (animal) anatomic studies."

A contemporary work on canvas by Erwin Speckter; which is very comparable to our painting; portrays the four friends of youth; E. and O. Speckter; Milde and Nerly; and is recorded in a Hamburg private collection according to literature (cf. ill.; from: Pauli; Gustav: Die Hamburger Meister der guten alten Zeit; Munich 1925; ill.48).

Soon Erwin Speckter; Milde and Nerly travelled over Munich to Italy. This is where they parted company; however; they kept up the correspondence with each other for all their lives. Whereas Nerly found his home in Venice; Milde worked in North Germany again later on; Speckter established himself in Rome from 1830 on and got in with the Nazarenes.Art trade; Van Ham.