Slide in countryside

Carl Malachin was born in Kröplin in Mecklenburg, and lived there all his life. During his studies in Munich, Malachin was educated as a land surveyor and in 1862 appointed to the position of court engineer in the Land Survey Office in Schwerin. He also pursued his artistic interests since early youth. Malachin made the first artistic steps under the supervision of Otton Doerr; in Munich, he was taught by the landscape painter Julius Noerr. Having received scholarship from Mecklenburg Duke Friedrich Francis II, Malachin pursued artistic studies in Weimar under Theodore Hagen and Albert Bredel between 1873 and 1879. After graduating, he was engaged as the artwork conservator in the Grand Ducal Gallery of Paintings in Schwerin. In 1890, he received the title of Professor of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg from Frederick Francis III and in 1915 was decorated with the Order of the Griffon of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg. The artist also created landscapes showing the neighbourhood of Ahrenshoop, Wustrow, Boltenhagen, Rostock, Schwerin, Schwann and Niehagen, which reflect his fascination with the nature of old Mecklenburg. The artist’s works are stylistically uniform. Landscape motives, oftentimes supplemented with anecdotal staffage, are unique on account of the toned-down array of colours and skilful building of atmosphere with the use of light. Malachin’s painting from the Szczecin collection is a representative example of his style, called the early Mecklenburg outdoor painting. The work presents the sheet of a frozen pond, which was changed into a skating rink ˗ the place where the residents of the nearby village, visible from the distance, yet partially hidden among the trees, are spending their leisure time, skating or sled riding. The sky, overcast with dark winter clouds, with last rays of the setting sun, is building the atmosphere of a cold end of the day in winter which, thanks to Malachin’s painting technique, becomes easily noticeable for the modern viewers looking at the painting.

Dariusz Kacprzak