Despite his membership in the "Barbizon School", Corot (1796-1875) is considered to be a classic who gained importance because of his landscape painting. Even though his artistic imagination remained classic, his improvisational style of painting showed much individual freedom. His unique nature of atmosphere and light is regarded as a significant contribution to painting.

Corot was born as a son of a cloth merchant on 16 July 1796 and learned this craft according to the wish of his parents. Only at the age of 26 he began to study landscape painting whereas Poussin and Lorrain were permanent role models for him. Water was a truly fascinating motif for Corot because of its silvery shimmer. These images radiate poetic silence, which made him one of the most capable representatives of the poetic landscape art in the eyes of critics. Corot's favorite motif is the country house of his parents in Ville-Davray with its quiet pond and lush, flower-filled meadows. The artist took painterly freedom for his portraits as well, amongst which the paintings of women are to be emphasized.

Corot was a loner who didn't use intensive contacts with other circles of painters. Nevertheless, particularly his history paintings evoked admiration among his contemporaries. However, it was only Gustave Courbet whom he greatly appreciated.

Due to the differentiated gradation of colors which created an atmospheric charm, Corot's works were role models for the Impressionism. Corot demanded that the artist should submit entirely to the immediate impression and was the first to apply the term "impression". He died at the age of 79 on 02.22.1875 in Paris.

Günter Dietz developed a revolutionary method for the authentic reproduction of images, where not the usual printing inks are used, but the same original colors used by the artist. Depending on the artist's painting technique, up to 180 (!) various paint applications need to be applied in order to achieve a perfect replica of the original that also sensationally reflects the "relief" and pastosity of colour composition.

Here are the examples of  'Couple at the Garden Table' by August Macke:

Similarly, the material of the original carrier, such as reproduction on canvas, paper, wood, copper, parchment is always used.

The result is a perfect, gridless reproduction that comes very close to the original in expressiveness and effect. Even museum specialists often can not distinguish the replica from the original. Therefore, a special security notice must be inserted, which is visible only under X-rays.

The circulation of most of the Dietz replicas is limited, usualy to 950 copies. Each canvas replica is stretched onto a frame as the original, so you can retighten the canvas according to variations in room temperature and humidity. High-quality solid wood strips round off the image of every Dietz replica.

Numerous masterpiece paintings of Rembrandt, Caspar David Friedrich, Claude Monet, Gustav Klimt and various others have been recreated by the Dietz Offizin. Famous modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall used the method developed by Günter Dietz to have replicas of their works produced.

Press commentaries:

“The Dietz System provides images as good as the originals. What the electronics did with the invention of Hi-Fi and stereo for music playback - here the graphic technology made up for visual art.“ (Die Zeit)

“In theory there is no difference between the original and the Dietz replica. They should not be called reproductions, but facsimiles.“ (Newsweek)

“For art printers all over the world remains unrealizable to this day, what managed only Dietz with the help of printing technology: The perfect reproduction of painted works. “ (Der Spiegel)

Konrad Adenauer at the presentation of Dietz replica of the frieze "To the young St. Peter" (Bundeshaus Bonn)



Günter Dietz (on the left) and Marino Marini

The mental attitude which spilled over from literature and philosophy to visual arts, established in about 1800 but which failed to produce its own style in visual arts.

The art of Romanticism was determined by content, relevant attitude to life and the sensations triggered by it. Inwardness and feelings, imagination and dream, world and nature, the power of myth and striving into infinity became central themes. The specific area of Romantic art lies in the painting and drawing. The landscape, as a theme that is constanly turned to, always moves to the forefront: man and nature are in relationship with each other, reflect the moods. Besides a new nature feeling there was a renewal of the religious attitude and a return to the past, tradition, history, old legends, fairy tales, as well as to the art of old masters and epochs. Especially in the case of Germany these was strongly national-oriented art.

Main representatives in Germany include among others: C.D. Friedrich, P.O. Runge, J.A. Koch, M. v. Schwind, and also the Nazarene group of artists. French Romanticism, which was characterized by other trends than the German, is represented mainly by the art of Delacroix.

The Romantic period lasted until around 1830.