Richard Karlovich Zommer

Depiction of Mt. Ararat in the Caucasus, Richard Karlovich Zommer

Today, when any type of expeditionary group sets out to explore some unknown area of the earth, one of their first considerations is to document every aspect of their endeavor using virtually every photographic media available and appropriate for their mission. They will often include at least one individual to do nothing else. That's been the case in one form or another for over a hundred years. But what about before that, when photography was in its infancy, when toting along a big, heavy, yet fragile wooden box and tripod would have been virtually out of the question? That's where the 19th-century (and in a few cases, earlier) artist came into play. Yes, they were slow, they worked under awkward circumstances, and their supplies were, at best, an inconvenience, even a nuisance. The German-born painter Richard Karlovich Zommer was one such artist. In fact, given that his career spanned from about 1890 until shortly before his death sometime during or after 1939, one might say he was the last of a breed--the exploring artist.

 

Shir-Dor Mosque, 1907, Samarkand, Uzbekistan,
Richard K. Zommer

Richard K. Zommer

Richard Karlovich Zommer was born in Munich, Germany, in 1866, though he is usually considered to be a Russian artist in that from 1884 when he began his studies at the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts, he spent the rest of his life in Russia and its eastern neighbors, Kazakhstan, Uzbek-istan, Georgia, Afghanistan, even ranging as far east as the Gobi Desert north of China. Zommer was a Russian royalist and an impressionist artist. He was one of the first Russian artists to surrender to the Impressionist tendencies that crossed the borders from France. A painter par excellence, his most celebrated work was undoubtedly The Shir-Dor Mosque, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (above). Little is known of his life. Zommer is thought to have had British origins. It is known that, inspired by other artists, he made several trips through Central Asia and Eastern Europe. It was during one of these visits that, in 1907, he conceived the mosque painting.

At Prayer, Richard K. Zommer (inside the Shir-Dor Mosque).

In the 1890’s Zommer began his career working as an ethnologist on an archaeological expedition to Asia, a trip that was to have a profound influence on his painting. His interest in ethnology is clearly evidenced in his painting,Chat, two decades later which focused on the habits and customs of his subjects. This formative trip also sparked perhaps his most prolific period as an artist, during which he worked in a number of genres.

Watermelon Sellers, Bukhara, Richard K. Zommer

Samarkand Street Market,
Richard K. Zommer

Zommer's paintings are marked by street scenes in the mostly Muslim territories of Russia, exhibiting bazaars, mosques, pro-cesssions and large crowds, which gives great freedom in color. He vividly explored in paintings such as The Watermelon Sellers, Bukhara (above), among others. However, Zommer was equally adept by the desert landscapes in the mountainous Caucasus. The land is a dark, arid environment, which in the paintings by Zommer, is usually covered with snow. Small streams entwined in muddy land or with picturesque caravans and sold-iers or artists crossing it, as in An Oxen Car-riage Passing a River (below), one of the most outstanding works of his career.

Paintings as rugged a the central Asian landscape.

Street Traders in Samarkand,
Richard K. Zommer
 

In this painting, Chat (below), from 1910, Richard Zommer has depicted a cen-tral aspect of oriental life, figures gathering together in the local coffeehouse to escape the heat of the day. As the men congregate in groups of two and three, it is clear that the establishment is a central meeting point in the community, where people come to relax, chat and debate. The figures are all dressed in bright, vibrant colors, enhanced by the glare of the fierce sun. The coffeehouse’s patrons shelter under the canopy or the shade of the tree, while they drink, eat and smoke shisha from their hookah pipes. Zommer has used a frieze-like composition, with the figures dispersed across the width of the foreground, which focuses the viewers’ attention on the individualism of the char-acters. By capturing the intense heat and the relaxed convivial atmosphere of the scene, Zommer’s lifelong fascination with the culture and customs of the orient is clearly demon-strated.

Chat, 1910, Richard K. Zommer

In the 1890’s Zommer worked as an ethnologist on an archaeological expedition to Asia, a trip that was to have a profound influence on his painting. His interest in ethnology is clearly evidenced in Sohbet (Chat), which focuses on the habits and customs of his subjects. This formative trip also sparked perhaps his most prolific period as an artist, during which he worked in a number of genres.

View of the Al Rifai Mosque in Cairo, Richard K. Zommer

After the turn of the century Zommer moved to Georgia; From there he travelled extensively, walking the Caucasus Mountain range for almost its entire length. He recorded scenes from his travels, works which are notable for their simplicity, composition, and boldness of color. Zommer also became the first teacher of the great Georgian painter, Lado Gudiashvili, who always acknowledged Zommer’s formative influence. The two artists exhibited together in 1926. Details of Zommer’s later years are sadly lacking. He was forced to leave Georgia in 1939 due to the oppressive Stalinist regime. Along with all ethnic Germans, Zommer was relocated to Siberia and Kazakhstan where he apparently died sometime during World War II.

His Dachshund Pups are quite adorable, but seem
totally out of character for Zommer.