Residence of Mr. Martin Lutscher
| Seifert's watercolor is fairly large, measuring 27" wide by 21" high, and provides a detailed depiction of a nineteenth century Wisconsin farm. The small structure immediately to the left of the house is likely a smokehouse used for curing and preserving meats butchered on the farm. The barn to the immediate right of the house shelters the horses. Next is the hog barn, and the large barn with side cribs for corn houses cattle. A large apple orchard extends from the house to the driveway. Two large piles of straw sit in the barnyard near the hogs and the cattle. In the center of the image, two men confer. Perhaps the man on horseback is Martin Luetscher II, the farm owner. In the foreground, workers -- or perhaps the Luetscher sons, Martin III (b. 1858), Jacob (b. 1862), or young John (b. 1869) -- are raking and loading hay. The driveway in the foreground is today known as County Road PF. The painting also depicts two exposed limestone bluffs. The bluff nestled in the wooded hills in the distance is the Sauk County landmark Tower Rock. The small stone building in the lower right corner is Pine Grove School. Martin II was a lead the effort to organize a school district and donated a portion of his land for the school building. The painting shows the second school - built in 1863 and torn down in 1880 to make way for a larger school. |
| Image ID: | 41161 |
|---|---|
| Creation Date: | circa 1875 |
| Creator Name: | Seifert, Paul |
| City: | Honey Creek |
| County: | Sauk |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Collection Name: | WHS Museum Collection |
| Genre: | Painting |
| Original Format Type: | paintings |
| Original Format Number: | Museum 2005.182.1 |
| Original Dimensions: | 27 x 21 inches |
| In 2005 the painting came to the Wisconsin Historical Society through the family of Peggy Luetscher Romenesko. (NOTE: Seifert misspelled Luetscher as "Lutscher.") The artist, Paul Seifert, was born in 1840 in Dresden and arrived in Gotham, Wisconsin in 1866. He studied engineering at the University of Leipzig, and in Wisconsin he worked as a skilled craftsman, taxidermist, and eventually as a painter. It was the latter skill that made him famous long after his death. Seifert made numerous watercolor landscape paintings of area farms and towns and sold them for between $2.50 and $5. An exact number is not known but it is likely to be over 100. Seifert's works are characterized by clean and ordered renderings incorporating many detailed elements, and his style resembles the famous "Grandma Moses" folk paintings. He utilized ink and straight edges for details such as houses, buildings, and fences, and he used softer colors and the brush to portray the diverse natural and agricultural landscapes of the Sauk County area. |
| This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society. |
| Location: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin |
|---|