Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956) made these 14 nature studies of bridges between 1913 and 1920. He would use them as the basis for many fine paintings now held in the collections of museums like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Museum Ludwig, Cologne, as well as private collections. They depict two bridges over the Ilm river in Weimar: the Sternbrücke (Star Bridge) and the Steinbrücke (Stone Bridge). Feininger would revisit these bridges, especially the Steinbrücke, in many of his later watercolors, drawings, woodcuts, and paintings.

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated upper right: 9 VI 14

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Julia Berg (née Lilienfeld, 1880–1970), who would later become Feininger's wife, prompted his first visit to Weimar. She was living in the small Thuringian town while studying at the Großherzogliche Kunstschule (Grand Ducal Saxon Art School). In letters to her love, she raved about Weimar’s beautiful sights. She was particularly taken by Oberweimar (Upper Weimar), where the Steinbrücke was located. In January 1906, she wrote to Feininger of “wonders over wonders—which you have to see” and the “splendid bridge” she wanted to draw. To which he replied:

“I can’t begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing the bridge. Oh you, you will show me how it looks, with a few lines, won’t you? And the rest of Oberweimar, how you described it, is purely magical.”

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), c. 1914

Pencil on paper
3 7/8 x 4 1/2 in. (9.8 x 11.4 cm)

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Feininger first visited Julia in Weimar the following month, in February 1906, where he saw the Steinbrücke for himself. He admired its four limestone arches and thick solidity. It was this bridge that he sought time and again during his extended stays in Weimar in 1913 and 1914, and then in 1919, when he moved to the picturesque city upon his appointment as the first master at the Bauhaus. In later letters to Julia, he reminisced about “our bridge" and the encounters he had while on it:

“One, then two, three, four groups of young people, pupils, nearly all with colorful hats standing in line at the river bank drawing the bridge…the good bearded professor in frock-coat and floppy hat correcting them…."

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1913

Pencil on paper
6 3/8 x 8 in. (16.2 x 20.3 cm)
Dated lower left: 9 V 13

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The Sternbrücke spanned the Ilm downstream from the Steinbrücke. Captivated by the oval openings cut into its spandrels, Feininger depicted it in five of the 14 nature studies we are featuring. He drew it from a distance as well as at close-range, focusing in on one of its striking arches. Among Feininger’s nine nature studies of the Steinbrücke, he used one, dated May 9, 1913, as the basis for his painting (On the Bridge), 1913, and another, dated September 19, 1913, for the paintings (Bridge I), 1913, and Brücke V (Bridge V), 1919.

Images

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Star Bridge, Weimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated upper right: 6 VI 14

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Star Bridge, Weimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated lower left: 6 VI 14

Signed lower right: Feininger

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Star Bridge, Weimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated lower left: SAT 6 VI 14

AMFA 0902

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Star Bridge, Weimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated lower left: 6 VI 14

AMFA 0901

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Star Bridge, Weimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated lower right: 6 VI 14

AMFA 0903

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)
Dated upper right: 9 VI 14

AMFA 0915

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

Brücke V (Bridge V), 1919

Oil on canvas

31 5/8 x 39 1/2 in. (80.3 x 100.3 cm)

Moeller 205 | Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Bridge I), 1913

Oil on canvas

31 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. (80 x 100.3 cm)

Moeller 110 | Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

The Anglers (Black Bridge), 1942

Oil on canvas

17 1/8 x 23 in. (43.5 x 58.5 cm)

Moeller 435 | Private collection, USA

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)

AMFA 0954

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1913
Crayon on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)

Dated lower left: 19 IX 13

AMFA 0826

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1914

Pencil on paper
6 1/4 x 8 in. (15.9 x 20.3 cm)

AMFA 0955

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Bridge III), 1917

Oil on canvas

31 11/16 x 39 3/8 in. (80.5 x 100 cm)

Moeller 184 | Museum Ludwig, Cologne

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Bridge 0), 1912

Oil on canvas

35 13/16 x 43 1/2 in. (90.8 x 110.5 cm)

Moeller 085 | Private collection, Germany

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

Brücke II (Bridge II), 1915

Oil on canvas

32 1/8 x 39 13/16 in. (81.4 x 101 cm)

Moeller 140 | Private collection, Russian Federation

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), c. 1914

Pencil on paper
3 7/8 x 4 1/2 in. (9.8 x 11.4 cm)

AMFA 0724

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), c. 1914

Pencil on paper
3 7/8 x 4 1/2 in. (9.8 x 11.4 cm)

AMFA 0726

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), c. 1914

Pencil on paper
3 7/8 x 4 1/2 in. (9.8 x 11.4 cm)

AMFA 0725

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1913

Pencil on paper
6 3/8 x 8 in. (16.2 x 20.3 cm)
Dated lower left: 9 V 13

AMFA 0744

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Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(On the Bridge), 1913

Oil on canvas

24 x 24 13/16 in. (61 x 63 cm)

Moeller 121 | Private collection, Germany

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)

(Stone Bridge, Oberweimar), 1920

Pencil on paper
5 3/4 x 8 1/2 in. (14.6 x 21.6 cm)
Dated lower left: 20 7 20

AMFA 1310

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