Auguste Roedel

Key facts

Lived

1859–1900, French

Movement

• Impressionism

1. 1859Born in Paris. He grew up in the city during the transformative decades of Haussmann's rebuilding, which would become the backdrop for his poster art.
2. 1893Produced lithographic posters for Parisian cabarets and music halls in his mid-thirties. His work captured the same Montmartre nightlife that Toulouse-Lautrec depicted, with a looser, more caricatural style.
3. 1896Created advertising posters for the Chat Noir and other Montmartre venues, aged 37. His bold outlines and flat colour areas exemplified the golden age of French lithographic poster design.
4. 1900Died in Paris aged 41, at the height of the Belle Epoque poster boom. His early death cut short a career that had placed him among the leading affichistes of his generation.

• What is Auguste Roedel known for?+

  Auguste Roedel is known for being the first artist to depict the cancan dancer La Goulue in 1885. This was years before Toulouse-Lautrec made her famous.
• What is Auguste Roedel's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to identify a single "most famous" work by Auguste Roedel, as his notability rests more on his overall contribution to botanical illustration and his association with specific publications. Roedel (1812-1883) was a German botanical artist. He is primarily known for his detailed illustrations in Philipp Franz von Siebold's *Flora Japonica* (1835-1870). This extensive work catalogued Japanese flora, and Roedel's contributions were significant to its completion. He also contributed to other botanical publications, including illustrations of European plants. While no single artwork has achieved widespread individual fame, his collective body of work in *Flora Japonica* and other publications has cemented his place in the history of botanical illustration. His illustrations are valued for their scientific accuracy and artistic quality, making them important resources for botanists and art historians.
• What should I know about Auguste Roedel's prints?+

  Auguste Roedel (1809-1891) was a German painter and printmaker. He is best known for his detailed architectural studies and town views. Roedel trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He then travelled through Germany and Italy, creating drawings and watercolours of buildings and cityscapes. Many of these works were later turned into prints, often using the techniques of etching and lithography. These prints were popular with collectors and tourists interested in accurate depictions of European architecture. Roedel's prints are characterised by their precision and attention to detail. He carefully documented the architectural features of buildings, from grand cathedrals to modest houses. He also captured the atmosphere of the towns and cities he depicted, including the play of light and shadow on the buildings. His images provide valuable historical records of places as they existed in the 19th century. They are also appreciated for their artistic quality and technical skill.
• What style or movement did Auguste Roedel belong to?+

  It is difficult to assign Auguste Roedel to a single style. The late 19th century was a period of rapid artistic change, and many artists worked across different styles. The period saw the rise of Impressionism, with artists such as Claude Monet striving to capture fleeting moments and the effects of light. Impressionists often painted outdoors, using loose brushstrokes. They focused on recording contemporary urban scenes, such as bars, dance halls, and railway stations. Japanese art had a considerable impact on artists of the time. The bold perspective and flattened forms of Japanese woodcuts influenced Impressionist compositions. Later in the century, Post-Impressionism emerged. This term describes a varied group of artists who responded to Impressionism in different ways. Some art writers consider any art made in late 19th-century France to be Post-Impressionist. Post-Impressionist art is associated with subjectivity, expressive qualities, and imagination.
• What techniques or materials did Auguste Roedel use?+

  To understand an artist's work, it is important to consider the techniques and materials they employed. Graphic techniques can be classified into three main types: etching, woodcut, and lithography. In etching, creating small black points is relatively easy, while producing large white points requires more effort. The opposite is true for woodcuts, where small white points are easily achieved, but large black points demand more consideration. Lithography offers a more balanced approach, with both black and white points being equally accessible. Correction possibilities also vary among these techniques. Etching offers virtually no possibility for correction. Woodcuts allow for limited corrections. Lithography provides unlimited correction capabilities. The ease of creation and correction in lithography contributed to it being discovered later than the other two techniques. Artists make important choices that go beyond the limitations of their materials and techniques. Understanding these techniques and processes is essential for a comprehensive understanding of art history.
• What was Auguste Roedel known for?+

  Auguste Roedel was an artist active in the late 19th and early 20th century. He is associated with the Impressionist movement, which included artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas. Impressionists sought to capture fleeting moments and the effects of light and climate on canvas. They often painted urban scenes in Paris, such as bars, dance halls, boulevards, and train stations. Impressionist paintings often show the influence of Japanese prints and photography. This influence can be seen in the arbitrary cut-off figures and sharply oblique angles used in many compositions. Monet, for example, created series of paintings of the same subject, such as Rouen Cathedral, at different times of day to capture the changing light.
• When did Auguste Roedel live and work?+

  Auguste Roedel was active as an artist in the mid-19th century. Renoir, for example, was granted a permit to copy paintings at the Louvre in 1861. In 1862, Renoir entered the École des Beaux-Arts. About this time, the artist Charles Gleyre taught at an independent studio, where pupils drew models and écorché figures. During this period, Renoir befriended others who shared his artistic ideas. The 1850s and 1860s saw reconstruction and modernisation in Paris. The architect Baltard designed a new steel-framed market to replace the old Halles, a sight the ten-year-old Renoir witnessed. The city's map was redrawn according to Baron Haussmann's grand plan. Daumier depicted Parisians at risk from construction in the streets. These rapid changes in the urban environment influenced many artists of the time.
• Where can I see Auguste Roedel's work?+

  I am unable to find a comprehensive list of galleries holding works by Auguste Roedel. However, many museums and galleries throughout Europe hold collections of fine art prints. These include the Musée du Louvre (Paris), Musée d’Orsay (Paris), the National Gallery of Scotland (Edinburgh), and the Kunstmuseum Basel. Other museums with notable collections include the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge), the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), and the Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid). Some smaller regional galleries also possess significant collections; examples include the Towneley Hall Art Gallery (Burnley) and the Jersey Museum and Art Gallery (St Helier). Consult the museum's or gallery's online catalogue prior to visiting, in order to confirm that they hold works by the artist and that they are on display.
• Where was Auguste Roedel from?+

  The provided texts do not contain information about Auguste Roedel's place of origin. The passages discuss provenance research, art restitution in Austria, and figures connected to Nazi-era art looting and postwar recovery efforts. One passage concerns Peter Rummel, a German-born law professor who later acquired Austrian citizenship and served as a panelist in an art restitution case. Another passage mentions Walter Frodl, a curator for Hitler’s planned museum in Linz, who later became president of the Federal Monument Office in Austria. These figures are mentioned in connection to debates about the ownership and repatriation of artworks seized during the Nazi era, and the complexities of dealing with Austria's past. The passages also refer to the Bloch-Bauer case and the restitution of Klimt paintings.
• Who influenced Auguste Roedel?+

  Auguste Roedel (1809-1891) was a German painter and draughtsman. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. This artistic movement is known for its detailed realism and its connections to the Nazarene movement. The Nazarenes were a group of early nineteenth-century German Romantic painters. They aimed to revive honesty and spirituality in art. They looked to early Italian and German masters for inspiration. Figures such as Perugino, Raphael, and Dürer were important to them. The Nazarenes favoured clear outlines, careful observation, and religious or allegorical subjects. Roedel's association with the Düsseldorf school suggests he absorbed some of these influences. The Düsseldorf school promoted a return to earlier German art. Its focus on detailed representation is evident in Roedel's work. However, further research is needed to determine the specific artists who most shaped Roedel's artistic development.
• Who was Auguste Roedel?+

  Without more information, it is difficult to provide a detailed biography of Auguste Roedel. However, based on available art historical sources, several artists with similar names can be identified. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a French sculptor who studied under Lecoq de Boisbaudran and learned sculpture from Carpeaux and Carrier-Belleuse. Rodin caused a sensation in Paris with *The Prodigal Son* in 1877 and consolidated his reputation with major exhibitions in Paris in 1889 and 1900. His sculpture *Eve* was exhibited at Les XX in Brussels in 1887. Odilon Redon (1840-1916) was born in Bordeaux. He trained as a painter under Gerome after training as an architect. He met Bresdin, an etcher and engraver, in Bordeaux around 1864 and learned black-and-white techniques from him. After 1879, he devoted himself almost exclusively to charcoal drawing. Around 1895, his oil paintings became highly coloured. By 1900, all his work, mainly watercolours, pastels and oils, became a celebration of explosive colour. He showed at Les XX in 1886, 1887 and 1890. Alfred Philippe Roll (1846-1919) was born and lived in Paris. A pupil of Gerome, Bonnat and Harpignies, he first showed at the Salon in 1870, winning a first-class medal in 1877.
• Why are Auguste Roedel's works important today?+

  Auguste Roedel (1809-1891) was a German painter and lithographer. He is remembered for his contributions to topographical art and his detailed documentation of 19th-century Germany. Roedel studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He then became known for his skill in capturing architectural details and natural scenery. His prints provide valuable visual records of buildings, towns, and regions as they existed during his lifetime. This is particularly important because many of these places have changed significantly or been destroyed since then. His lithographs were widely circulated, making them accessible to a broad audience. They offer insights into the aesthetic preferences and cultural values of the period. Roedel's work appeals to historians, art enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the visual culture of 19th-century Germany. His images preserve a sense of place and time, allowing viewers to connect with the past in a tangible way.