The following description for has been prepared entirely by the current owner, Roberts S. Fastov, Esq., and, at the collector’s request, has not been edited by Sloans & Kenyon

Note 1) The following biographical materials are taken from the Askart.com website:

"Biography from Williams American Art Galleries

'Known as “the Painter of Snow,” Walter Koeniger was the son of an architect, born in Germany in 1881. From architecture, Walter turned to painting, while still in Germany. He studied under Eugene Gustav Dücker and Eduard Karl Franz Gebhardt at the Düsseldorf Academy.

Koeniger immigrated to the United States around 1910 and settled in Woodstock, New York in 1912, where he abandoned his earlier style of photographic realism in favor of a more painterly, expressive technique. He concentrated on capturing the fleeting moods of nature during a period when the winter scene genre was rapidly rising in popularity. Koeniger focused on views of the Catskill Mountains and wooded areas around Woodstock and Saugerties.

His activities at Woodstock (where he died in 1943) are not well known; apparently he was not involved with the artists’ colony there. He painted in broad, large strokes, rendering brilliant sunlight and glowing color harmonies, soft gradations on color in the sky, streams and forests. The artist adapted the blue and purple shadows of the Impressionist aesthetic. A plein-air painter, even in winter, Koeniger would reportedly delay the completion of a painting until the setting sun would add the proper tint of orange to the scene. One historian said Koeniger had a “passion” for “frozen, snow-covered scenes of winter.” His work was popular and was sometimes used on the covers of Literary Digest. Later in his career, Koeniger maintained studios in both Woodstock and New York City.

Studied

Düsseldorf Academy with Dücker and Gebhardt 

Member

Salmagundi Club

Exhibited

National Academy of Design, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1931

Vose Galleries, Boston, 1926

Work

Arizona State University Art Museum

University of Arizona Museum of Art

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

Delval Fine Arts Consortium, Lansdale, PA

Toledo Museum of Art

References

Falk (ed.), Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975

Mallett, Index of Artists, International–Biographical

McCann, Master Pieces, The Art of Jigsaw Puzzles

Opitz (ed.), Mantle Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers

Rodriguez Roque, Directions in American Painting 1875–1925

Shipp, American Art Colonies 1850–1930, A Guide to Original Art Colonies and Their Artists

Springville Museum of Art, Permanent Collections Catalog of Springville Museum of Art 

Creps, Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers of the U. S.

Dunbier (ed.), The Artists Bluebook: 34,000 North American Artists to March 2005

Falk (ed.), Annual Exhibition Record, National Academy of Design 1901-1950

Falk, Dictionary of Signatures & Monograms

Zellman, 300 Years of American Art

Falk (ed.), Who Was Who in American Art: Artists Active Between 1898-1947

Bermingham and Deeds, Paintings and Sculpture in the Permanent Collection

Springville Museum of Art, Permanent Collection Catalogue, Springville Museum of Art

Muller, “Koeniger, Painter of Snow,” International Studio 81, June 1925"

Note 2). As recited in Askart.com, per G. Frank Muller’s article, “Koeniger, Painter of Snow,” International Studio 81 (June 1925), "Koeniger gained fame and popularity as “The Painter of Snow.” After studying art in his native Germany, Koeniger settled in Woodstock, New York in 1912, where he concentrated on capturing the fleeting moods of nature during a period when the winter scene genre was rapidly rising in popularity. Koeniger focused on views of the Catskill Mountains and wooded areas around Woodstock and Saugerties. "He painted in broad, large strokes, rendering brilliant sunlight and glowing color harmonies, soft gradations of color in the sky, streams and forests. For G. Frank Muller (1925), Koeniger attempted “to convey to the beholder the rapture he experiences before nature at her best. Koeniger seizes the delight of woodland beauties and passes it on for our enjoyment. The artist adapted the blue and purple shadows of the Impressionist aesthetic. Reportedly, Koeniger would delay the completion of a painting until the setting sun would add the proper tint of orange to the scene (Emphasis added)."

Further, per Askart.com, Koeniger "arrived in America around 1910 and became a part of the Woodstock, New York artists' colony in 1912. He was not committed to any style but painted what he saw in a way that combined realism with Impressionistic application of vigorous, broad brushstrokes. A plein-air painter, even in winter, he used fresh, glowing colors to convey the crisp, vigorous mood of his settings. His works was popular and was sometimes used on the covers of "Literary Digest." Later in his life, he kept a studio in New York City as well as Woodstock, and he painted until the time of his death in 1943 (Emphasis added)."

Koeniger was a member of the Salmagundi Club and was associated, to some extent, with the Woodstock colony of artists. The Arizona State University Art Museum, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, KA, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT, Delval Fine Arts Consortium, Lansdale, PA and the Toledo Museum of Art, OH own works of art by Koeniger."

Note 3) The foregoing Koeniger biographic materials and this very beautiful and very well-painted Koeniger Impressionist view of a river winding through snow-covered river banks, flanked by trees with snow-covered hills and a small mountain in the distance, which is in good condition and has its very attractive original period gold frame, plus the following auction records regarding Koeniger sales, warrant the conclusion that the presale estimate of $2,000-$3,000 is reasonable and justifiable. The highest auction price ever paid for a Koeniger painting was $17,600 on 12/2/1988.

Title/Subject: Winter Afternoon Signed. Oil on canvas. 20 in. x 16 in. sold for $3,510 on 03/11/2011 at Alderfer Auction Company, Hatfield, PA

Title/Subject: Winding Brook in Winter, 1928 Signed and dated. Oil on canvas. 35 in. x 37 in. sold for $9,000 on 04/29/2010 at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, CT

Title/Subject: River In A Winter Landscape, 1928 Signed and dated. Oil on canvas. 13.75 in. x 13.75 in. sold for $4,688 on 12/06/2009 at Samuel T. Freeman & Co, Philadelphia, PA

Title/Subject: Distant Hills, Winter Signed. Oil on canvas. 35 in. x 37 in. sold for $8,400 on 05/01/2008 at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, CT

Title/Subject: Winter Afternoon, 1926 Signed. Oil on canvas. 22 in. x 24.20 in. sold for $7,800 on 05/01/2008 at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, CT

Title/Subject: Stream in Winter Signed. Oil on canvas. 30 in. x 30 in. sold for $9,560 on 10/26/2006 at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, CT

Title/Subject: Winter Stream Signed. Oil on canvas. 24 in. x 22 in. sold for $6,000 on 12/07/2005-12/08/2005 at Alderfer Auction Company, Hatfield, PA

Title/Subject: Mountain Landscape, Winter Signed. Oil on canvas. 32 in. x 45 in. sold for $15,535 on 10/20/2005 at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, CT

Title/Subject: A Winter Glow Signed. Oil on canvas. 20 in. x 24 in. sold for $9,400 on 10/23/2003 at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, Milford, CT

Title/Subject: Distant Hills, Winter Signed. Oil on canvas. 35 in. x 37 in. sold for $10,158 on

03/04/2003 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Frozen River, 1922 Signed. Oil on artist's board. 10.10 in. x 12 in. sold for $3,000 on 12/05/2001 at Doyle, NYC

Title/Subject: Winter Landscape Signed. Oil on canvas. 32 in. x 32 in. sold for $12,100 on 12/04/1992 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: View of Vermont Signature information not available. Oil on canvas. 37 in. x 35.10 in. sold for $10,450 on 05/23/1990 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Mountain Stream in Winter Signature information not available. Oil on canvas. 34 in. x 37 in. sold for $9,900 on 03/16/1990 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Winter Thaw Signed. Oil on canvas. 38 in. x 45 in. sold for $17,600 on 12/02/1988 at Christie’s, NY