Sunset over Pedra da Gavea, Rio de Janeiro. Eduard Hildebrandt

Encouraged by Humboldt and sponsored by the Prussian King Frederick William IV, Hildebrandt travelled to South America in 1844 commissioned to paint souvenirs of Prince Adalbert's recent visit to Brazil. Hildebrandt was in Brazil between March and October 1844 before leaving for North America on the return journey to Europe. In Brazil he was based in Rio de Janeiro and made excursions to Sao Paulo and Bahia. On his return to Germany he worked up oils from his sketchbooks: 'Später fhrte er unter Vorlage seiner sdamerikanischen Skizzen Gemälde aus, wobei er der Lichtwirkung in der Natur grosse Aufmerksamkeit schenkte. Er gab Mondschein, Sonnenauf- und -untergang bei Rio de Janeiro wieder, einen "tropsichen Sonnenuntergang mit Spielung im Wasser" sowie "Rio de Janeiro in blendendem Sonnenlicht" ... Hildebrandts Neigung zu Lichteffekten, Kontrasten und zur Auflösung der Form in der knstlerischen Darstellung verweisen auf Isabey, von dem er auch die Technik der Aquarellmalerei bernommen hat. So steht er mit seinem Werk ganz in französicher Tradition." (R. Löschner, Deutsche Knstler in Lateinamerika, Berlin, 1978, p. 38.)

Financed by Frederick William IV, Hildebrand spent the rest of his career travelling, and he published an illustrated travel diary, A Journey Around the World, in 1867, recording his travels from 1862-1864.
For his work in Brazil see G. Ferrez, O Brasil de Eduard Hildebrandt, Rio de Janeiro, 1988 and M.E. Santos Peixoto, Pintores Alemães no Brasil durante o século XIX, Rio de Janeiro, 1989, pp. 93-108.
circa 1844
oil on canvas
51.7 × 67 cm (20.4 × 26.4 in)
Object history 8 April 1998: sale of the collection of at Christie's
Inscriptions signed 'E. Hildebrandt' (lower right)

See also: Rio de Janeiro, Paintings, Drawings