Tor zum Stift Neuburg bei Heidelberg

Wilhelm Trübner was born in Heidelberg in 1851 and this painting depicts a popular destination for day-trippers from his home city. The center of the picture is occupied by the architectural feature of the gateway, which separates two contrasting areas of color. The foreground is dominated by subdued brown tones—with short brushstrokes indicating fallen leaves—compared with the altogether different atmosphere that prevails in the background. Here, luscious green tones abound, glittering light meets shadow, and the close-up view of the abbey courtyard is given extra depth.

Trübner’s artistic beginnings were shaped by realism. In the 1870s he lived in Munich and came into contact with the circle around Wilhelm Leibl (1844–1900). His late work, on the other hand, as evidenced in this picture, displays Impressionist influences, for example in the brushwork and use of bright colors. Trübner, however, was vehemently opposed to a dissolution of the composition in favor of capturing a momentary mood and insisted on a clear pictorial structure.