Edward Beyer (1820–1865) was a German landscape painter who was active in the United States and became known for his depiction of the

Antebellum South The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practic ...

Biography

He was born ''Eduard Beyer'' in

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

, and was a graduate of the Düsseldorf Academy of Art, or the

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf is the academy of fine arts of the state of North Rhine Westphalia at the city of Düsseldorf, Germany. Notable artists who studied or taught at the academy include Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Blinky Palermo, Ma ...

, where he studied between 1837 and 1838 under Joseph Wintergerst and Rudolf Wiegmann. He traveled to the United States in 1848 with his wife, living first in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

and later in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. He visited

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

in 1854 and stayed until about 1856 or 1857 sketching and painting a number of scenes that would appear in his "Album of Virginia" (1857). Edward Beyer eventually returned to Germany and died at

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

in 1865.

Artistic style

Beyer's style was formed at the Dusseldorf Academy with its tradition of

Classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthe ...

and

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

and critics hold a favorable view of Breyer's artistic endeavors. In his painting of the Bellevue Plantation near Ridgeway,

Henry County, Virginia Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,948. The county seat is usually identified as Martinsville; however, the administration building (where county offices are located ...

, a homestead of the Andrew and Maria Lewis family, Beyer depicts eight slaves toiling in a wheat field. The painting is accomplished "in the dramatic style of the Dusseldorf Academy, which emphasized atmosphere, action and drama." Some of his works comprised industrial scenes such as railroads and bridges, juxtaposing romanticism and realism. The painting of what was Charleston, Virginia in 1854 was declared a ''painting trifecta'' by

Antiques Roadshow (U.S. TV series) ''Antiques Roadshow'' is an American television program broadcast on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television stations. The program features local antiques owners who bring in items to be appraisal (decision analysis), appraised by ...

appraiser Colleene Fesko. Fesko said she was amazed when she saw the piece and had to pull out her glasses to fully examine in detail the panoramic work. While in Charleston, Beyer was offered a commission from a number of businessmen in the community. They had to have a lottery to decide who would own the painting, and it stayed with the same family ever since. Fesko said that Beyer created 40 panoramic landscape paintings of Virginia towns in the mid-19th century. Art historians lauded Beyer's "delicate and precise style" and "characteristic refinement of proportion."Deák, Gloria Gilda. ''Picturing America, 1497-1899: Prints, Maps, and Drawings Bearing on the New World Discoveries and on the Development of the Territory That Is Now the United States''. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1988, p. 721.

List of works

* Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia) *

Natural Bridge (Virginia) Natural Bridge is a geological formation in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, comprising a natural arch with a span of . It is situated within a gorge carved from the surrounding mountainous limestone terrain by Cedar Creek, a smal ...

* Harper's Ferry from Jefferson Rock *

Rockfish Gap Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, United States, through Afton Mountain, which is frequently used to refer to the gap. Joining the Shenandoah Valley to the Piedmont ...

and the Mountain House * The High Bridge near Farmville * The drums. The tapestry Room. Weyers Cave * Stribling Springs * Burner's White Sulphur Spr. Shenandoah Co. * White Sulphur Spring Montgomery * View from the Peak of Otter * View from the Hawks Nest * Little tunnel near Shawsville, Va. & T.R.R. * Old Sweet Springs * Rockbridge Alum Spring * Yellow Sulphur Springs * Blue Sulphur Spring * Falling Springs * View from Gambles Hill * Bullard Rock on the New River * View's of Weyer's Cave * Salt Sulphur Spring * Red Sulphur Spring * Salt Pond from the Salt Pond Knob * Kanawha Fall * U.S. Armory in Harpers Ferry * Viaduct on Cheat River B & O.R.R. * White Sulphur Springs * Fauquier White Sulphur Springs * Hot Springs * Old Point Comfort. Hygeia Hotel * View from Little Sewell Mountain * James River Canal near the mouth of the North River * View of the Peaks of Otter * Red Sweet Springs * Warm Springs.

Gallery

File:'View of Cincinnati' by Edward Beyer, 1853, Dayton Art Institute.JPG, View of Cincinnati File:BeyerRedSulphurSprings.jpg, Red Sulphur Springs File:Edward Beyer - Album of Virginia - The High Bridge Near Farmville (cropped).jpg, The High Bridge Near Farmville File:The Peaks of Otter and the Town of Liberty.jpeg, The Peaks of Otter and the Town of Liberty File:1024 Album of Virginia. White Sulphur Spring Montgomery (NYPL Hades-118861-55012) (cropped).jpg, Montgomery White Sulphur Springs File:Blue 1 800 crop 3.jpg, Blue Sulphur Springs Resort File:Staunton, Va., drawn from nature by Ed. Beyer.jpg, Staunton, Va. File:View of Winchester, Virginia.jpg, Winchester, VA (1856)

References

External links