Artist Spotlight: Alexander Koester
Alexander Koester (1864–1932) was a virtuoso of German Impressionism and Naturalism, world-famous as "Enten-Koester" (Duck Koester). After initially training as a pharmacist to satisfy his parents, Koester followed his passion to the Karlsruhe Academy, where he studied under masters of the Düsseldorf School. His career was defined by an obsessive, thirty-year fascination with the anatomy and shimmering feathers of ducks, a subject that earned him the patronage of Emperor Wilhelm II and a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.
Koester’s work is a masterclass in the "Sublime" beauty of light reflecting off water and plumage. Rather than simple wildlife studies, his paintings are atmospheric explorations of sun-drenched ponds and misty riverbanks. For the cross-stitcher, a Koester counted cross stitch design offers a stunning technical challenge: capturing the subtle "oil-on-water" sheen of a duck’s back and the complex ripples of a lake. Stitching his work allows you to bring a piece of the Munich School’s luminous realism into your home, turning a charming rural subject into a sophisticated work of textile art.