After leaving Germany for America in 1892 with an architectural degree and a royal medal from Berlin’s prestigious Königliche Technische Hochshule, Bluemner became dissatisfied with the idea of solely pursuing a career in architecture which led him to explore painting. After fleeing from Germany, Bluemner explained that he felt stuck in a limbo — feeling a sense of strong loyalty to the landscape and character of his new found American home, yet steeped in philosophical and cultural traditions from a Germany that he describes as being “too hard and sterile”. ‘He was incredibly drawn to this place, a geography that had huge importance to him’ an extract from ‘Oscar Bluemner, A Passion for Color’ describing Bluemner’s love for his new home in the states. Bluemner was heavily interested in the relationship between man-made and natural forms, as seen in ‘Richfield, 1921’. This is a poignant example of the transition between architecture and landscape drawing, symmetry and harmony.

Richfield, 1921 is well defined, simple, yet accurate and soft. Gentle crosshatching on the surface of the river that flows down the center of the piece is used extremely effectively to bring the water to life with texture and movement. The water can be used as a vehicle to draw the eye into the distance where a barn and church steeple are nestled into the surroundings. An intimate connection with the artist can be made through the varying levels of pressure used by the artist’s hand to make these marks. Firmer when it comes to the architectural structures, and softer lines when dealing with the landscape. He urged architects to ‘integrate houses into the landscape’ the way an artist ‘would integrate disparate elements into a single composition’.

Bluemner fuses expressionist techniques and content with a classical use of architectural forms. The small wooden foot bridge at the heart of this drawing anchors these decisions. However, his use of supple, rounded lines in the trees creates a sense of movement and rumination.

Bluemner was a visionary artist who metaled style and content based on his unique personal and spiritual discoveries. His accurate use of perspective, sharp lines and intricate detail of architectural forms contrasts beautifully with the organic shapes and lines of the landscape. The amalgamation of precision in his drawings with the serene setting creates an apt dialogue between man-made structure and the natural environment. This directly highlights the relationship, harmony and tensions that arise between architecture and nature, showing how each element influences the other.