"Wine and Music"
by Klaus Strubelview biographyAcademic Painter of Fine Art / Art Historian
For ages, the brothers in their
different orders have represented the highest level of culture. They were the keepers of science, education, inventions, literature, fine art, music
and - whom we also know of as agriculturists, - as developers of world famous champagne and excellent wines
In the beginning, the Brothers
produced their wines for the use in their monasteries, their clerical purposes and festivities. In the late 18th and mainly in the 19th century, their
wine products became so popular that they sold them to the public too, so they had to make room available for their visitors.
Here, we see a
well appointed room reflecting the Order’s level of culture, education, science and art.
It is a Sunday afternoon in the library of a European
Dominican Monastery.
Four of the Brothers entertain other members of the Order and also house guests with easy listening and pleasing violin and
cello music.
In the foreground two Friars are hosting guests for a wine and champagne tasting. The Brother second from right watches with delight
his client’s face as he takes a first sip of very good champagne.
The brother second from left is leaning over to his client as he asks: “What
do you say? Isn’t that a wonderful vintage?”
While I was university student in Germany, I also studied Art History and traveled through Europe
to visit historic landmarks, museums, cathedrals and famous monasteries. I often took the opportunity to rent a boarding room in some of the famous
monasteries because you could learn so much about the history and the various fields of expertise, - especially the one that fascinated me: The making
of wine and champagne.
During wine tasting in their cellars, I was surrounded by historic tools and equipment, hand carved casks and had
wonderful talks with the cellarers.
These lasting impressions inspired me to preserve certain situations in the life of the Masters of
Winemaking.
The play of the feature in my works tells whole stories. Each mime in their faces, their gestures, their hands and fingers and
many more details, bring life into these captured moments. Now and then, I inject a little touch of humor in circumstances of their life; after all,
they are only human.
I want my paintings to be entertaining, conversational pieces for the art collectors and at the same time to be very
decorative.