“Elegant woman with parrot”, Erdmann Otto

Beautiful oil on panel of an elegant women standing and leaning on a chair while she has a parrot perched on her hand. Beautiful and rich interior. the lady wears a gorgeous gown. Smooth clear colours in line with the work of the artist. Signed and dated 1868 with beautiful Louis XV style frame.

Size: H 45 cm x W 34cm / H 63 cm x W 45 cm

German School.

Lit: Otto Wilhelm Eduard Erdmann (1834–1905), born on 7 December 1834 in Leipzig, Otto came from a cultured family: his father was the renowned chemist Otto Linné Erdmann. He began his artistic training in 1850 at the Leipzig Academy, then continued his studies at the Dresden Academy from 1851, before honing his skills in Munich, where he worked notably under the guidance of the genre painter Ludwig von Hagn. In 1858, he settled permanently in Düsseldorf, where he specialized in Rococo Revival-style painting, depicting mainly light-hearted and carefree court scenes. From 1861 onwards, he exhibited regularly in Munich, Dresden and Berlin. His style is distinguished by a refined and narrative touch. The Thieme-Becker dictionary describes his art as ‘harmless and amiable’, characterized by great narrative talent, vivid characterization, meticulous realism in the details, careful lighting effects and a masterful rendering of materials.

Alongside his work as a painter, Erdmann contributed to illustration: notably, he produced engravings for the first issue of the Belgian magazine *L’Illustration Européenne* in 1870. Deeply involved in artistic life, he was a member of the “Malkasten” artists’ association and served on its board of directors for many years. He was also an amateur actor. In 1898, he was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle.

His paintings helped to popularize the Rococo aesthetic among a wide audience. His works are now held in several collections, notably in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Leipzig and Brunswick. He died on 9 December 1905 in Düsseldorf.