Philipp Rumpf (1821–1896), German, Peter Philipp Rumpf, a distinguished German painter and etcher, was born on December 19, 1821, in Frankfurt am Main, where he also passed away on January 16, 1896. The son of Sebastian Rumpf, a confectioner, and Marianne Rumpf, née Melzer, Rumpf initially followed in his father's footsteps by learning the confectionery trade. However, his passion for art led him to the Städelsches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt in 1836, where he began his studies in the sculpture class under Johann Nepomuk Zwerger. By 1838, he had shifted his focus to painting, studying under the tutelage of Jakob Becker, Carl Friedrich Wendelstadt, Heinrich von Rustige, and Jakob Fürchtegott Dielmann. In 1844, Rumpf founded an art school for daughters of the bourgeoisie, which he operated until 1860. His marriage in 1845 marked the beginning of a family life that would include his son, Emil Rumpf, who also became a painter. Rumpf's artistic journey took him to Paris in 1852, where he was influenced by the works of Camille Corot and Gustave Courbet, and later to Munich, Dresden, and Northern Italy. A pivotal moment in his career came in 1858 when he, along with Anton Burger and Jakob Fürchtegott Dielmann, established the Kronberger Malerkolonie in Kronberg im Taunus, a significant contribution to Frankfurt's art history. Rumpf moved to Kronberg in 1875 but returned to Frankfurt in 1890. Beyond oil painting, he excelled in etchings, watercolors, and drawings. His achievements were recognized in 1888 when he was appointed professor and served as court painter to Duke Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg, cementing his legacy in the German art world.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the porcelain cup. A hand hovers near the saucer, mid-reach. The garden hums—bees, rustling skirts, the faint clink of silverware. Steam curls from the tea, carrying the scent of bergamot and cut grass. A pause before the first sip.
