Bauernmalerei, or Bavarian Folk Art, is a traditional German folk art that originated in the Bavarian Alps and spread throughout Europe. The term comes from the German words bauern, meaning peasant or farmer, and malerei, meaning painting. The art form features floral and fruit motifs, as well as birds and other animals, painted in bright colours on wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and milk jugs.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Name | Bauernmalerei |
Translation | "Bauern" means peasant or farmer, "Malerei" means painting |
Origin | Bavarian and Austrian Alps, Swiss Apenzell |
Other Names | Bavarian Folk Art |
Art Style | Folk art, primitive folk-style painting |
Typical Features | Floral and fruit motifs, birds and other animals |
Typical Colours | Bright |
Typical Objects | Furniture, plates, boxes, metal milk jugs |
Periods | Renaissance Period (17th Century), Baroque Period (1700-1800), Rococo Era (c. 1750), Empire Era, Biedermeier Era (up to mid-19th century) |
Regional Variations | Tolzer Style, Rossler Style, Wismut Style, Hessian Style, Franconian Style, Black Forest Style |
What You'll Learn
- Bauernmalerei is a traditional German folk art painting technique
- It is associated with Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Bavarian Alps
- It features floral, fruit, bird and animal motifs in bright colours
- It experienced a surge in popularity in the 1970s
- It is considered a dialect of German, but some classify it as a separate language
Bauernmalerei is a traditional German folk art painting technique
Bauernmalerei (pronounced bow-urn-maler-rye) is a traditional German folk art painting technique. The term comes from the German words "bauern", meaning peasant or farmer, and "malerei", meaning painting. The farmers and peasants were customers to travelling painters and cabinetmakers, as they were too busy in the fields to paint themselves.
Bauernmalerei originated in the Bavarian and Austrian Alps and the Swiss Apenzell, and is commonly referred to as "Bavarian Folk Art". Although it began as something simple and naive, Bauernmalerei has evolved through various styles and periods, including the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Empire, and Biedermeier eras. Each period influenced the type of backgrounds, designs, colours, flowers, and objects painted.
Bauernmalerei typically features floral and fruit motifs, as well as birds and other animals, painted in bright colours on wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and metal milk jugs. This art style spread throughout Europe, with regional variations emerging in different villages. For example, the Tolzer Style, which originated in Bad Tolz in Southern Germany, is known for its famous Tolzer Rose. Other styles include the Rossler Style, the Wismut Style, the Hessian Style, and the Franconian Style.
The technique involves layering different shades of the same colour with simple brush strokes to create folk art that is not meant to look realistic. It is a primitive folk-style painting technique that gained popularity in the 1970s, along with the rise of the hippie movement and a renewed interest in traditional crafts. Today, Bauernmalerei continues to inspire modern designs and is often seen on clothing, ornaments, and home decor items.
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It is associated with Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Bavarian Alps
Bauernmalerei (pronounced bow-urn-maler-rye) is a folk art associated with Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Bavarian Alps. The term comes from two words: "bauern", which means peasant or farmer, and "malerei", which means painting.
It is thought to have originated in the Bavarian and Austrian Alps and the Swiss Apenzell, and is therefore commonly referred to as "Bavarian Folk Art". The art form experienced a surge in popularity during the 1970s, coinciding with the rise of the hippie movement and a renewed interest in traditional crafts and folk art.
Bauernmalerei typically features floral and fruit motifs, as well as birds and other animals, painted in bright colours on wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and metal milk jugs.
The folk art spread throughout Europe, with regional variations emerging as it travelled from village to village. Some of the most notable styles include the Tolzer Style, originating from the town of Bad Tolz in Southern Germany, and the Rossler Style, which is painted on schranks, beds and trunks and features flowers, animals, peasant scenes, fruit baskets, hearts and swirls.
The distinct cultural identity of Bavaria, with its Catholic heritage and conservative traditions, has contributed to its association with this art form. The state has a rich history, having been settled by Iron Age Celtic tribes and later conquered by the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. It became the independent Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806 and joined the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871, before becoming a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.
The traditions and language of Bavaria have been heavily influenced by its history, with the state retaining a strong sense of separate national identity. The state's unique culture encompasses cuisine, architecture, festivals, and Alpine symbolism.
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It features floral, fruit, bird and animal motifs in bright colours
Bauernmalerei, or "Bavarian Folk Art", is a traditional German folk art form that originated in the Bavarian Alps and spread throughout the Austrian and Swiss Alps. The term comes from the German words "bauern", meaning peasant or farmer, and "malerei", meaning painting. While farmers and peasants did not create these paintings themselves, they were the customers of travelling painters and cabinetmakers.
Bauernmalerei features bright floral, fruit, bird and animal motifs. These motifs are painted onto wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and metal milk jugs. The Rossler Style, for example, features flowers, animals, peasant scenes, fruit baskets, hearts, and swirls. Another style, the Wismut Style, was associated with "wismut", a metal mined in the Erz mountains of Germany, and featured on small chests to imitate the silver chests of the wealthy. Flowers, figures in old costumes, and beautiful borders were painted on these chests.
The art form experienced a surge in popularity in the 1970s, coinciding with the rise of the hippie movement and a renewed interest in traditional crafts and folk art. Today, clothing, ornaments, and home decor items featuring Bauernmalerei designs can be found in retailers like Etsy, World Market, and Target.
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It experienced a surge in popularity in the 1970s
Bauernmalerei, or "Bavarian Folk Art", experienced a surge in popularity in the 1970s. This was due in part to the rise of the hippie movement and a renewed interest in traditional crafts and folk art. The style, which originated in the Bavarian Alps, features floral and fruit motifs, as well as birds and other animals, painted in bright colours on wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and metal milk jugs.
Bauernmalerei is a German folk art painting technique and the term comes from two words: "bauern", meaning peasant or farmer, and "malerei", meaning painting. While the art form itself was carried out by travelling painters and cabinetmakers, its simple and naive style made it accessible to many.
The style evolved over time, influenced by the trends of each period it passed through, from the Renaissance in the 17th century to the Biedermeier Era in the mid-19th century. These influences affected the types of backgrounds, colour choices, arrangements, and motifs used in the paintings.
The folk art spread throughout Europe and variations of it can be found in Scandinavian and Eastern European countries. Its resurgence in the 1970s brought it across the Atlantic to the United States, where it is once again gaining popularity, with retailers like Etsy, World Market, and Target selling pieces inspired by or created in the Bauernmalerei style.
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It is considered a dialect of German, but some classify it as a separate language
Bauernmalerei, or Bavarian Folk Art, is a traditional folk art form that originated in the Bavarian Alps and spread throughout the Austrian and Swiss Alps. The term comes from the German words "bauern", meaning peasant or farmer, and "malerei", meaning painting. While the farmers and peasants themselves rarely did any painting, they were the customers of travelling painters and cabinetmakers.
Bavarian Folk Art typically features floral and fruit motifs, as well as birds and other animals, painted in bright colours on wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and metal milk jugs. This art form gained popularity in the 1970s, partly due to the rise of the hippie movement and a renewed interest in traditional crafts and folk art.
Bavaria, officially known as the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in southeast Germany. It has a distinct culture, largely due to its Catholic heritage and conservative traditions, which includes a separate language, cuisine, architecture, festivals, and elements of Alpine symbolism. The Bavarian language, or Austro-Bavarian, is considered a dialect of German by some, while others classify it as a separate language.
Bavarian is spoken by approximately 12 million people and is the largest of all German dialects in terms of speakers and the area covered. Despite this, in 2008, 45% of Bavarians claimed to use only the dialect in everyday communication. The difference between Bavarian and Standard German is larger than the difference between Danish and some varieties of Norwegian or between Czech and Slovak.
Bavarian can be viewed as a dialect of German due to several reasons. Firstly, the perception of its speakers, who often consider themselves as "Bavarians" first and "Germans" second. Secondly, the lack of standardisation, as there is no common orthographic standard for Bavarian, and the traditional use of Standard German as the written form of communication. Additionally, the relative closeness of Bavarian to German does not justify it being viewed as an "abstand language", a language that is structurally different from another language. Finally, no country has applied for Bavarian to be included in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
On the other hand, some sources, including the International Organization for Standardization and UNESCO, classify Bavarian as a separate language. Bavarian differs significantly from Standard German, making it challenging for native Bavarian speakers to adopt standard German pronunciation. Educated Bavarians and Austrians can usually read, write, and understand Standard German, but they may rarely speak it, especially in rural areas. Standard German is often restricted to written communication and the media in these regions. Given that Central German and Upper German comprise the High German languages, from which Standard German was developed, some Bavarian speakers feel that the term "High German" is a more appropriate alternative to "Standard German".
In conclusion, while Bavarian is commonly considered a dialect of German, there are valid arguments for classifying it as a separate language due to its distinct features and the level of difficulty Bavarians face in adopting Standard German pronunciation.
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Frequently asked questions
Bavarian Malerei, or Bauernmalerei, is a traditional German folk art that originated in the Bavarian Alps and spread throughout Europe.
The term comes from two words: "bauern", which means peasant or farmer, and "malerei", which means painting.
Bauernmalerei typically features floral and fruit motifs, as well as birds and other animals, painted in bright colours on wooden or metal objects such as furniture, plates, boxes, and metal milk jugs.
Some regional variations of Bauernmalerei include the Tolzer Style, the Rossler Style, the Wismut Style, the Hessian Style, and the Franconian Style.