Oberammergau Has Some of the Prettiest Houses in Bavaria
When Traveling to Bavaria, Be Sure to See the "Fairy Tale" Houses.
Strolling through the streets of Oberammergau, I fantasize about what it would be like to actually live in one of those pretty painted houses. To me, they are like play houses for grown-ups.
I am amazed at how real some of the paintings of architectural features appear.
Statues, columns, arches, windows all need a “double take” to make sure they aren’t real. The paintings even have "shadows" which give them a 3-D effect. The attention to detail is remarkable.
The frescoes are also very durable. I was told that they retain their color for up to 100 years!
The frescoes are painted on official and religious buildings, stores, hotels and private houses.
Religious themes are most common, but there are also many whimsical scenes and fairy tale scenes.
The term used for the tromp l’oeil (fool the eye) technique is called “Lüftlmalerei”, which literally means “Air Painting”.
History of the Painting Process:
Hundreds of years ago, it originally began as a method of wall-painting for decorating the baroque facades in Italy and Southern Germany.
In the 18th century, this method became popular in Bavaria, where traders and craftsmen displayed their wealth by means of opulently painted facades. The paintings were mostly religious with paintings of saints and scenes from the Passion Play.
The paintings use the fresco technique. The mineral based water colors are applied to fresh, wet plaster. As the colors dry, they become a fixed layer of color, insoluble to water. The painters have to work quickly in the fresh air (Luft) and this may have led to the term "lüftlmalerei" for this method of painting.
Another story about the term lüftlmalerei is associated with Franz Seraph Zwinck (1748-1792), who was a pioneer of the technique and is the best known painter. He lived in a house called "Zum Lüftl" (many houses in Bavaria have names) and because of his profession, was called "the Lüftlmaler" (the "Lüftl" painter).
Franz Seraph Zwinck decorated many beautiful facades in and around Oberammergau. The best known is the Pilatushaus as well as the Forsthaus and the Mußldomahaus
Pilatushaus - The exterior of the building is flat, but the architectural details of Luftmalerei has a 3-D effect. Make sure you see it while in Oberammergau!
