The Schwaan Art Museum has successfully acquired one of the most significant works from the renowned Schwaan Artist Colony - a painting titled 'Lantern Children' by Rudolf Bartels (1872-1943). This historic artwork, which had been in private family ownership since 1938, represents a homecoming for one of the defining pieces of the artist colony's legacy.
Museum director Annette Winter-Süß explained that Bartels created multiple versions of the 'Lantern Children' motif, with eight known versions currently documented. Two works from this series are already on display at the museum as permanent loans from the Rostock Art Gallery and the Ospa Foundation. The newly acquired painting, purchased for 24,000 euros, adds a third piece to this important collection as the museum's own acquisition.
The painting's provenance tells a remarkable story of family heritage spanning nearly nine decades. Claudia Lörius-Lukas from Magdeburg, who sold the artwork to the museum, shared fascinating details about her family's connection to the piece. Her grandfather acquired the painting directly from Rudolf Bartels in 1938, and personal correspondence between the artist and her family documents this transaction. In October 1938, Bartels wrote to the family stating 'The lanterns are already burning,' and by December of that year, he was thanking them for payment.
Lörius-Lukas recalled how the painting became an integral part of her family's traditions and memories. 'I remember the lantern painting from my early childhood,' she said. 'My grandparents were very loving people who supported and enriched their nine grandchildren, particularly in musical areas. There was regular house music, grandchildren's theater, and even a grandchildren's newspaper.' The artwork inspired special family traditions, including beloved lantern processions through the garden during dark seasons, where children would carefully carry handmade lanterns with real candles while singing.
The museum's connection to this particular artwork began in 2016 during a major Rudolf Bartels exhibition in Schwaan and Rostock. Former museum director Heiko Brunner contacted Lörius-Lukas's mother about lending the painting for the exhibition. This initial contact led to the family's first visit to Schwaan, where they were deeply impressed by the well-maintained museum and its moving exhibition about Bartels' life and work.
Years later, as Lörius-Lukas began the task of gradually dissolving her mother's household while her sister lived in Canada, museum director Winter-Süß initiated contact about the painting's future. The acquisition process involved assembling multiple funding partners and conducting necessary authenticity and provenance assessments, along with restoration work.
The purchase was made possible through collaboration between several prestigious institutions. Funding came from the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Foundation of the German States, the Ospa Foundation, and the Fielmann Foundation. Winter-Süß expressed particular satisfaction that the Cultural Foundation of the German States supported the acquisition, noting that 'this represents great recognition that the artwork holds national significance.'
On November 14, the 'Lantern Children' painting was ceremonially presented to the public during a formal celebration at the Schwaan Art Museum. Representatives from sponsoring organizations and numerous art enthusiasts attended the event. Although Lörius-Lukas could not attend due to personal reasons, she and her sister expressed confidence that they were acting in accordance with the wishes of Rudolf Bartels, their grandparents, and their late mother by placing the artwork where it would be most appreciated, well-preserved, and accessible to an interested public.
The Schwaan Artist Colony, which flourished in the second half of the 19th century, began around 1860 when artists like Otto Dörr, Eduard Ehrke, and Carl Malchin discovered the landscape around Schwaan, characterized by the Warnow and Beke rivers, as a motif for their paintings. Through the encouragement of Franz Bunke, born in Schwaan, an artist colony developed there. From 1892, Bunke, a professor at the Weimar Painting School, spent time from spring to autumn in Schwaan to paint and brought his Weimar students and colleagues with him. Local Schwaan painters, including Peter Paul Draewing and Rudolf Bartels, were also taught by Bunke and later studied in Weimar.
Museum director Winter-Süß concluded the acquisition with deep satisfaction, stating: 'The Lantern Children are part of our identity, and it fills me with great joy that this painting now returns to Schwaan.' The acquisition ensures that this significant piece of German art history will be preserved and displayed in its rightful home, continuing to inspire future generations as it did for the Lörius family for nearly 90 years.
