This site is dedicated to the memory of my father Walther Lefeldt (1897 - 1981) and his artistic work. It presents a selection of his water paintings and photographies of my own property.
The water paintings (landscapes and still lifes) are divided into two chronological sorted groups. Almost all are signed and dated as well as titled. Mostly black and white photos were used as origin, but many pictures were painted or scetched outside in nature, so there are several versions of the same motives.
The black and white photo negatives used for the digital processing were mainly well preserved, but unfortunately undated, so a provisional dating was made by my own memory, by location-specific criteria or in allocation to the water paintings, which originated after photographs. A comprehensive evaluation of the extensive negative material and the color slides is being prepared.
Among the photos especially the photos of the old "Gängeviertel" in Hamburg deserve closer attention, which originated just before the demolition, respectively before the final renovation of this quarter at the beginning of the1930s.
The landscape shots indicate a preference for atmospheric back light motives, which have an artistic equivalent in an impressionistic painting technique. But this technique is hardly surpassing the local colors and never uses spontaneous painting resources, which is typical for the water color style, such as effects of flowing colors into one another or the wet-on-wet painting technique. But there is a cautiously calculated overlaying of transparent color coatings and a differentiated natural color modulation, which results in a fascinated combination of impressionistic and realistic effects.
Biographic note:
Walther Lefeldt was born in Hamburg in 1897. He worked full-time for almost 50 years as employee and at last as executive director for the "Neue Sparcasse von 1864" ("Neuspar", merged with the "Hamburger Sparcasse von 1827" in 1972). besides he was busy with photography and painting and was counted among the pioneers of the Leica-photography in 1920s. At the beginning of the second world war he was dismissed by the Nazis, but he worked along as freelance artist, especially with portrait photography. Due to the denazification he was reemployed by the English occupying power in 1945 and intrusted with the task of social reintegration of the saving bank, in whose economic success he had a high share until his retirement in 1968.
The water paintings (landscapes and still lifes) are divided into two chronological sorted groups. Almost all are signed and dated as well as titled. Mostly black and white photos were used as origin, but many pictures were painted or scetched outside in nature, so there are several versions of the same motives.
The black and white photo negatives used for the digital processing were mainly well preserved, but unfortunately undated, so a provisional dating was made by my own memory, by location-specific criteria or in allocation to the water paintings, which originated after photographs. A comprehensive evaluation of the extensive negative material and the color slides is being prepared.
Among the photos especially the photos of the old "Gängeviertel" in Hamburg deserve closer attention, which originated just before the demolition, respectively before the final renovation of this quarter at the beginning of the1930s.
The landscape shots indicate a preference for atmospheric back light motives, which have an artistic equivalent in an impressionistic painting technique. But this technique is hardly surpassing the local colors and never uses spontaneous painting resources, which is typical for the water color style, such as effects of flowing colors into one another or the wet-on-wet painting technique. But there is a cautiously calculated overlaying of transparent color coatings and a differentiated natural color modulation, which results in a fascinated combination of impressionistic and realistic effects.
Biographic note:
Walther Lefeldt was born in Hamburg in 1897. He worked full-time for almost 50 years as employee and at last as executive director for the "Neue Sparcasse von 1864" ("Neuspar", merged with the "Hamburger Sparcasse von 1827" in 1972). besides he was busy with photography and painting and was counted among the pioneers of the Leica-photography in 1920s. At the beginning of the second world war he was dismissed by the Nazis, but he worked along as freelance artist, especially with portrait photography. Due to the denazification he was reemployed by the English occupying power in 1945 and intrusted with the task of social reintegration of the saving bank, in whose economic success he had a high share until his retirement in 1968.
