European art united: open-air painting in Herzogenaurach inspires!

European art united: open-air painting in Herzogenaurach inspires!

In Herzogenaurach, this year's open-air painting was a complete success, which was celebrated with a celebratory vernissage in the KunstRaum on June 19, 2025. The chairman of the Friends of Erlangen-Höchstadt/Tarnowskie Góry, Manfred Bachmayer, took the time to thank the artistic director Gabriele Jost for her valuable work with a rose. Together with Dr. Martin Oberle, the second chairman, emphasized that this event was an example of “European cooperation in action”.

The participating artists from the Polish partner district and the Erlangen-Höchstadt district created impressive works during the plein air under the motto “Art for Friendship and Peace”. Her works of art were created outdoors, a practical application of so-called plein airism, which is an independent style of painting in which the artists work directly in nature in order to directly experience and depict the effects of light and color.

Plein airism and its history

Pleinairism, or open-air painting, emerged as a major artistic movement in the 19th century and was heavily influenced by artists such as John Constable and Claude Monet. This style of painting offers an intense relationship with reality and enabled the artists to capture the colors and light of nature in their works. As a comprehensive analysis shows, there were approaches to this technique as early as the Renaissance, for example by Leonardo da Vinci, who discussed natural light in his paintings.

What is particularly noteworthy is that plein air painting experienced a boom in the Dutch Baroque period, but most works continued to be created in the studio. In contrast, artist colonies such as Barbizon, active between the 1830s and 1860s, adopted plein air painting as a central concern – a reaction to academic art and industrialization. These groups allowed artists to pursue the urge to depict nature in its pure form.

Thanks and support

The two chairmen of the circle of friends were impressed by the results of the creative work and sent special thanks to District Administrator Alexander Tritthart and the mayors of Marloffstein, Aurachtal, Weisendorf and Eckental. Your support of the art campaign was crucial to the renewed success of open-air painting in Herzogenaurach. As in the past, the connection between art, nature and culture remains a central concern for the local community.

Open-air painting, which is now very popular in the 20th and 21st centuries, remains an important element in the artistic landscape. Contemporary artists who work en plein air continue to shape the image of modern painting and tell stories from nature in their works.

An event like the one in Herzogenaurach impressively shows how art can connect communities and gives hope for further successful projects in the future.