Found by Ognyan Hristov and posted on the Artists of the First World War Facebook Page
Carl Saltzmann was born on 23rd September in Berlin, Germany. He studied art with Hermann Eschke, a German artist specialising in marine art. Carl went on to study in Düsseldorf and, after travelling through the Netherlands and Italy, settled in Berlin. Between 1878 and 1880 he accompanied Prince Henry of Prussia on his trip around the world and later joined the German Emperor on his visit to St. Petersburg and Norway.
Carl became one of Kaiser Wilhelm II's favorite marine artists, frequently accompanying him on sea journeys.
Some of his paintings resulting from these journeys are "Corvette Prince Adalbert in the Strait of Magellan" (1883, Breslau Museum), "In the Pacific Ocean" (1888, German Emperor), and "Arrival of the Hohenzollern at Kronstadt" (Emperor of Russia). The National Gallery in Berlin contains two paintings by Carl. In 1888 he was awarded the Great Gold Medal in Berlin and in 1896 he was appointed Professor at the Academy.
Carl Saltzmann's painting "Walfang mit der Duncan Grey" (Whaling with the Duncan Grey”) depicted the 15th July 1892 "pleasure whaling trip" taken by German Emperor Wilhelm II on the whaling and sealing vessel “Duncan Grey”.
With the outbreak of the First World War, Carl’s motifs became increasingly focused on military subjects. His painting “German Fleet Manoeuvres on the High Seas” was identified as a "trophy painting" seized by British troops, indicating its importance in representing the German Navy's image during this period. His work served to glorify the Kaiser's navy, and his role as a court-adjacent artist meant he was a key figure in generating maritime art for the German Empire, particularly around the time of the war.
 |
| German Fleet Manoeuvres on the High Seas, |
