signed and inscribed ‘E. Eitner/ Wallgau 1.7. ‘39’ (recto) and ‘Toni Eitner/ Frau Marg.
Schroeter/ Paul Schroeter/ in Wallgau/ 1872’ (verso)
graphite, watercolour
22.3 x 15.3 cm

This quickly sketched drawing, executed on a sketchbook page (with the perforated
edge still visible along the upper edge), offers a wonderfully informal glimpse into the
personal lives of the artists Paul Schröter and Ernst Eitner, along with their wives, Margarete
Schröter and Antonia Eitner. According to the inscription on the recto, the drawing was
made on the 1st of July, 1939. The sheet also bears the inscription ‘Wallgau’, referring to
the town of the same name in southern Germany near the Walchensee. This lake, most
likely depicted in the background, is situated just north of the Alps near the Austrian
border. Eitner chose a particularly original viewpoint: the women, absorbed in reading,
take centre stage, while the artist Paul Schröter is depicted in the background. The relaxed
postures—especially that of the woman in the foreground with her feet propped on a
chair—evoke a timeless atmosphere of holiday leisure.

Ernst Eitner, born in Hamburg in 1867 [1], was one of the founding members of the
Hamburgischen Künstlerclub, founded in 1897, and is generally considered one of its
most experimental members. [2] The artist’s swift working method and impressionistic style
earned him the nickname ‘Monet of the North. Eitner left a monumental and varied œuvre
consisting of many self-portraits, portraits of his wife Antonia known as ‘Toni’ [3] as well as
large number of topographical views and cityscapes. [4]

[1] E. Bénézit et al., Dictionary of artists, Volume 5, Dyck-Gémignani, Paris, 2006, p. 137.
[2] See: https://www.shmh.de/journal-ernst-eitner/ [accessed 12 June 2025].
[3] See for examples: https://www.museen-nord.de/objekte?ceid=7&no_cache=1&tx_joportal_
listeneinstieg%5Baction%5D=list&tx_joportal_listeneinstieg%5Bcontroller%5D=Museo&tx_
joportal_listeneinstieg%5Bjopaginatepage%5D=2 [accessed 12 June 2025].
[4] See: https://www.museen-nord.de/objekte?no_cache=1&tx_joportal_
listeneinstieg%5Bcontroller%5D=Museo [accessed 12 June 2025].