Karl Ferdinand Sohn

Karl Ferdinand Sohn (10 December 1805 in Berlin – 25 November 1867 in Cologne) was a German painter of the Düsseldorf school of painting.

He was born in Berlin and started his studies at the age of eighteen under Wilhelm von Schadow, whom he followed to Düsseldorf.

He focused on mythical and poetic subjects of a highly romantic character, and painted in the idealistic manner of the Düsseldorf school.

He visited Italy (1830–1831) and adopted ideas from the works of the Venetians; Titian, Paolo Veronese, and Palma il Vecchio.

Later, He painted biblical subjects, and then devoted himself to genre scenes, well characterized and of great coloristic charm.

Karl Ferdinand Sohn, from a group portrait by Julius Hübner
Sohn in his studio, 1846
Karl Ferdinand Sohn trained many female painters. His pupils included the painters Luise von Martens and Emma Elwin (née Neussel). The present portrait of Emma Elwin was done by Martens when both were in their mid-twenties. It is probably the only surviving portrait of Emma Elwin (private collection Germany).