Traveler Artists

Guácharo Cave

This work is currently installed at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

The German painter Ferdinand Bellermann traveled through Venezuela from 1842 to 1845 in the company of naturalists Nicolaus Funck and Carl Moritz. This painting shows the entrance to the Guácharo Cave, a 10 km long limestone cave located near the town of Caripe in Venezuela.

Bellermann visited the cave on August 9, 1843. In a letter sent shortly after his visit, he wrote: "The cave is the most beautiful thing I have seen so far, and I only want my drawings to show it." This painting was made in 1874 after Bellermann's return to Germany and was based on sketches made on site, which can be found in the collection of the National Gallery in Berlin.

Video:
In this video Rafael Romero, the Emeritus Director of the CPPC, provides insight into the experiences of 19th-century German artist Ferdinand Bellermann and his travels in Latin America. Bellermann took extensive notes and captured many photos during his journeys, and found the landscapes in Venezuela to be particularly sublime. This video was produced for the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros by El Tigre Productions.
  • Artist: Ferdinand Bellermann
  • Title: Guácharo Cave
  • Date: 1874
  • Materials: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 118.75 x 156.85 cm (46 3/4 x 61 3/4 inches)
  • Artist: Ferdinand Bellermann
  • Title: Guácharo Cave
  • Date: 1874
  • Materials: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 118.75 x 156.85 cm (46 3/4 x 61 3/4 inches)
This work is currently installed at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

The German painter Ferdinand Bellermann traveled through Venezuela from 1842 to 1845 in the company of naturalists Nicolaus Funck and Carl Moritz. This painting shows the entrance to the Guácharo Cave, a 10 km long limestone cave located near the town of Caripe in Venezuela.

Bellermann visited the cave on August 9, 1843. In a letter sent shortly after his visit, he wrote: "The cave is the most beautiful thing I have seen so far, and I only want my drawings to show it." This painting was made in 1874 after Bellermann's return to Germany and was based on sketches made on site, which can be found in the collection of the National Gallery in Berlin.

Video:
In this video Rafael Romero, the Emeritus Director of the CPPC, provides insight into the experiences of 19th-century German artist Ferdinand Bellermann and his travels in Latin America. Bellermann took extensive notes and captured many photos during his journeys, and found the landscapes in Venezuela to be particularly sublime. This video was produced for the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros by El Tigre Productions.