Untitled: A Surfacing Northern Pike (Double-Sided Studio Board) – by Emil Hermann

Emil Hermann (1871–1966)

Title: Untitled: A Surfacing Northern Pike (Double-Sided Studio Board)

Medium: Oil on canvas panel (double-sided)

Size: 11” x 14” (16 7/8” x 19 7/8” framed)

Price: $2,450.00CAD

This magnificent mid-century painting by Emil Hermann captures the raw, kinetic power of North American wildlife. The composition centers on a prize Northern Pike mid-breach, its powerful body arcing as it violently explodes through a calm water surface. Hermann masterfully contrasts the dynamic energy of the strike and the textured white-water splash against a luminous, turquoise-teal lake. The upper fourth of the panel features a wide expanse of moody, rolling clouds, utilizing intentional negative space that strongly aligns with the “masthead layout” design popular during the Golden Age of commercial illustration.

Upon closer inspection, the artwork reveals a fascinating, multi-layered material narrative hidden on its reverse face (verso). Lined with canvas fabric on both sides, the rigid substrate contains a beautifully rendered 1940s portrait study of a young woman framed against a deep circular vignette. The physical layout tells a compelling story of 20th-century studio economics: Hermann originally executed a formal portrait that likely went uncollected or was ultimately abandoned. When later commissioned to deliver a fast-turnaround wildlife illustration, the artist practical-mindedly recycled the redundant canvas panel. He physically trimmed the portrait board down to his exact required canvas dimensions of 11” x 14”, flipped it over, and painted the pristine, completely intact pike scene seen today. Visual cues suggest the subject of the clipped portrait may be a younger depiction of the model featured in Hermann’s documented 1945 work, Portrait of a Young Girl.

The heavy, precise paint application gives the pike’s iridescent scales and the frothing water a rich, tactile dimension. True to Hermann’s mid-century technique, the surface shows a beautifully stable vintage patina that acts as an honest fingerprint of its age and authenticity. Housed in its original, mid-century gold cove molding frame measuring 16 7/8” x 19 7/8”, the artwork stands as an exceptional, conversation-starting example of historic American sporting art. Signed by the artist in the lower-right corner of the primary scene, this piece offers an unprecedented, unedited glimpse into the working life of a celebrated landscape and wildlife painter.

Emil Hermann (1871–1966) was a highly accomplished 20th-century American landscape, portrait, and wildlife painter. Born in Europe, he immigrated to the United States, where he established a prolific career centered around capturing the dramatic beauty of the American wilderness and the prominent figures of his era.

Hermann spent decades refining a signature aesthetic that seamlessly blended the structural discipline of classical portraiture with the fluid, atmospheric freedom of plein-air landscape painting. Working out of his studios in the mid-to-late 20th century, he became highly sought after by private collectors and commercial publishers alike. His rare wildlife and angling scenes were deeply prized for their anatomical realism and high-action theatricality, matching the demanding tastes of the Golden Age of American outdoor sporting illustration.

Throughout his long career, Hermann maintained a reputation for meticulous craftsmanship, often preparing his own substrates and utilizing heavy composition artist boards capable of traveling safely between field assignments. His works were regularly exhibited in prominent regional art circles, earning critical acclaim for their rich, saturated color palettes and masterful control over light and shadow. Today, Hermann’s paintings are tightly held in private collections across North America, celebrated both for their narrative charm and their enduring contribution to the tradition of American sporting art.