Hohenschwangau in Time-Lapse
Hohenschwangau Castle, nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of Bavaria, Germany, stands as a captivating testament to history and architectural brilliance. This majestic castle, with its fairy-tale-like towers and elegant facade, exudes an enchanting aura that transports visitors back in time. Built in the 19th century, Hohenschwangau Castle boasts a rich heritage, having served as the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Impeccably restored and adorned with ornate interiors, the castle offers a captivating glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of royalty. Perched on a hill overlooking the serene Alpsee Lake, Hohenschwangau Castle seamlessly blends natural beauty with architectural grandeur, leaving visitors spellbound by its timeless allure.
September 2022 we visited the castles Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein in Bavaria Germany. I have been wanting to do a painting of the area ever since. The setting of both castles perched above magnificent Lake Alpsee nestled beneath the soaring Bavarian Alps is a sight to see. I chose to paint Hohenschwangau Castle from a viewpoint from Neuschwanstein. In other words, Neuschwanstein is right behind the viewer of the scene. Neuschwanstein is probably a prettier and well known castle as it is the one which inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle, however, I wanted to include the entire setting, be true to originality, and Hohenschwangau was the castle in view.
For this work, I did a video time-lapse of the entire painting process. I have done a number of time-lapse videos of my plein air painting, but not a larger studio work. You can see some of the videos here on my website. Although most the time-lapse videos of plein air pieces are short, as they are painted usually in a few hours, this video runs about 19 minutes. Each minute equals about an hour of painting time, and I explain a little about the painting process as it goes along.
As mentioned in the video, I kept adjusting the distant mountains, maybe 4-5 times, never quite satisfied. I usually don’t repaint a section this much, and I am still not sure I am satisfied with it. However, will let it sit for awhile, and determine that later, so as usual, I might tinker with the painting a little more.
In the meantime, enjoy this time-lapse video of the entire painting process…so far…
If a 19 minute video is too long to watch, stay tuned for the ultra, ultra fast version!