Artwork
Kürassiere im Trabe
Kürassiere im Trabe is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist August Deusser. It dates from 1906 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
August Deusser’s 1906 oil painting *Kürassiere im Trabe* captures a fleeting moment of mounted troops moving through a wooded landscape. The composition places a prominently rendered horse and rider in the foreground, while a second cavalryman recedes among the trees, creating a sense of depth through layered color and atmospheric perspective.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a pair of cavalrymen in active motion, emphasizing the dynamism of military life at the turn of the twentieth century. By focusing on the interplay of rider, horse, and surrounding foliage, Deusser suggests both the discipline of the soldiers and the natural environment through which they travel.
Technique & Style
Deusser employs the loose, visible brushwork associated with Impressionist practice, allowing colors to blend on the canvas and convey the fleeting quality of light and movement. A palette of greens, browns, grays and muted blues creates atmospheric depth, while textured strokes give the scene a tactile, almost kinetic quality.
History & Provenance
Created while Deusser taught at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, the painting entered the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s interest in early twentieth‑century German art and the broader European Impressionist currents that influenced the artist.
Artist & collection
Artist
August Deusser (15 February 1870 – 28 October 1942) was a German painter and art professor, at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.
