Little can be found about the painter Carl Haag when looking at German reference books, not so when including English ones. Compared with England, Carl Haag is still fairly unknown in Germany. Art experts will know that at auctions, Haag’s watercolours have fetched high prices for years, especially his Oriental motifs. Nonetheless Carl Haag has not been integrated into art historic correlation. The International Carl Haag Society intends to change that.
Whoever takes a look at the data presented on our website will realise that we are dealing with a widely travelled and in his time highly respected painter, who was also most valued by Queen Victoria.
In the town of Oberwesel he was deemed a generous and gregarious man, a highly esteemed citizen of this small town. Until today his watercolours make a big impression, especially because of their minute details and brilliance of colour.
Born in the area of Franken, Erlangen in 1820, he goes to art school in Nuremberg, meaning to continue his studies in Munich, Bavaria, but is quickly in demand as a portrait painter within aristrocratic circles, mainly because of his extremely realistic miniatures.
For a while he lives in Brussels. During his first visit to London, he gets acquainted with British watercolours, which he finds so fascinating that he begins studying at the Royal Academy in the year of the Revolution, 1848. Within two years, he has become an extraordinary member of the Royal Watercolour Society, where he exhibits and sells his works for many years.
The International Carl Haag Society was founded on January 17, 2015 – the 100th anniversary of the painter’s death. The founders of the society seek to preserve and promote the artist’s work, life, and estate through education and research.
The society is registered and recognized as a non-profit organization under German law. Its twenty founders, including the German city of Oberwesel and the municipal museum of Erlangen, welcome new members, whether they are private citizens or corporate entities. The society’s governing board nominates individuals from both the public and private sectors – from areas such as the arts, sciences, government, and business – to an advisory board, which supports the mission of International Carl Haag Society. Members of the society as well as members of the advisory board periodically receive a newsletter about current projects and upcoming events.