Girl with Pumpkin

Some of you, my friends, may be familiar with the work of a lesser-known but within certain circles much sought-after photographer of the early 20th century by the name of Albrecht Von Stiegelkampf. It is now a matter of record that Von Stiegelkampf’s major body of work consisted of numerous studies of the waterways of Venice published posthumously by Abfluegen Hugelstranz press as ‘Bilder von Wasterstrassen von Venedig’. What is perhaps less well-known but almost certainly more enlightening for disciples of the man, is Von Stiegelkampf’s fascination with the art of Johannes Van Hoytl The Younger. Van Hoytl’s most famous work, ‘Boy With Apple’, was for many years displayed in the lobby of The Grand Budapest Hotel in the small Eastern European province of Zubrowka. The history of that painting since bequeathed by Madame C V Desgoffe und Taxis to a certain M Gustave is of itself a most interesting story, although not one that we need concern ourselves with at this time. Our concern of course is with Von Stiegelkampf and his own variation on the ‘Boy With Apple’ theme. Sadly, the photographs themselves are long forgotten but a preparatory sketch for his ‘Third Variation on the theme of Von Hoytl’s Boy With Apple’ was recently discovered by Ruprecht Schmerzl, the famous Swiss sculptor and renowned aficionado of Von Stiegelkampf, hidden in the pages of a small notebook that he acquired from a private collection not too long ago. Much excited by the discovery, Schmerzl commissioned Canadian photographer Alan Fouvrier to reproduce an approximation of what Von Stiegelkampf’s original vision may possibly have resembled had the photograph ever been taken (on this subject there is much conjecture. Various art historians have debated whether all, or indeed any, of the variations were ever produced by Von Stiegelkampf himself). There is also the question of critical responses to any work from Von Stiegelkampf that did not involve canals as for the most part it focused on the awkwardness of the models – though it should be noted that as time has passed critics have been much kinder, most often noting the stilted positions of the models was undoubtedly a manifestation of the artist’s overall vision of society between the wars and most notably his much talked of hatred of shoe salesmen.