Carl Arp

Carl Arp (3 January 1867 – 6 January 1913) was a German landscape painter born in Kiel. He taught in Weimar and had exhibitions in Munich, Berlin, Kiel, Jena and Düsseldorf. He is best known as a founding member of the Schleswig-Holsteinische Kunstgenossenschaft and representative of the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School (Grossherzoglich-Sächsische Kunstschule Weimar). Subsequent to his studies there under Theodor Hagen and Leopold von Kalckreuth, he spent several years in Italy. Carl Arp is viewed as one of the main representatives of the "en plein air" style of landscape painting.

Painting technique and controversy Carl Arp’s work (and that of his colleague Christian Rohlfs) caused controversy. During several exhibitions in the Kieler Kunsthalle (1891 to 1894) and the Münchner Glaspalast (Munich Crystal Palace, 1892) the innovative, thick, pasted form of paint application in some of his works were criticized by conservatives for appearing "almost like a relief". In 1894, some of his paintings were removed, on the orders of the grand duke Carl Alexander, from the permanent exhibition in Weimar. It was not the motifs of the paintings that caused controversy but the avant-garde technique of using spatulas rather than brushes to manipulate paint—pasted in thick layers on canvas or board. The Weimar Malerschule professorial college, which had approved Arp’s contributions to the Weimar permanent exhibition, and fellow artists vehemently protested that removal. However, the collegiate's formal protest was not relayed by the exhibition director, Count Görtz. In a meeting convened on 17 January 1894, Professor Max Thedy petitioned that this censorship be reviewed but Görtz responded that he had discussed the matter with the grand duke and that "further deliberations will be unnecessary".

Arp's works are exhibited in museums in Kiel, Danzig und Weimar but many are held in private collections.

Arp's works are mostly oil or water colour paintings with motives from Schleswig-Holstein and the Kieler Förde, as well as his time in southern Germany and Italy. Examples include: An den Schleusen / At the Sluice Gates, oil on board, 75 cm x 54 cm Giardino Pubblico, Venedig / Public Gardens, Venice, oil on board, 31 cm x 24 cm Matterhorn / Monte Cervino, oil on board, 16.5 cm x 21.5 cm