Artillery Oberleutnant

[laurentius]

Dear fellow collectors,

last november I bought this lovely painting of an Oberleutnant in FAR 5 with EK1. In the rightbottom corner is either the name of the painter or the name of the officer. It is signed ''A. Wittrin, Berlin 1921''. I know the chance is a small one, but would one of the collectors here with access to the ranklists be willing to have a look for me? Maybe there is more info on him.

Kind regards and thanks in advance, Laurentius

[The Prussian]

Hello!

Because of the brandenburg cuffs it will be Footartillery.

The ranklist of Honour mentions a Leutnant Witte, later Oberleutnant a.D.

Edited July 22, 2020 by The Prussian

[laurentius]

Thank you Andy, I didn't know he was footartillery, good to know. Although Berlin 1921 is a bit hard to read, it clearly says 'Wittrin', so he most likely isn't Leutnant Witte.

 

[ErWeSa]

IMHO Wittrin was the painter, in the 1921 Berlin addressbook there are 3 Wittrichs that are painters/artists = "Maler" (they don't distinguish there): Albert, H., and Otto and none that is Lt.:

 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by ErWeSa

[laurentius]

Thank you very much ErWeSa, shame we won't find out about our Oblt, but it's nice to know who the painter was. I'll have a look on the internet, maybe this Albert Wittrin made more paintings.

Kind regards, Laurentius

Edited July 22, 2020 by laurentius

[The Prussian]

Do you have a close-up of the shoulder boards, please?

Edited July 23, 2020 by The Prussian

[laurentius]

Here you go Andy. What I always presumed to be a small pip turned out to be the button, which fixes the shoulderboard to the uniform.

Kind regards, Laurentius

[The Prussian]

Hi Laurentius!

Now we have a problem...

I also see a 5 with a grenade. Feldartillerie.

BUT:

FAR5 was a silesian unit. Fifth Army Corps. In peace time they had yellow shoulder-straps, so on this 07/10 tunic should be seen: grey shoulder-straps with yellow pipings.

Or should it be officer boards? But then too, the pipings might be yellow.

And Feldartillerie hat swedish cuffs.

Swedish cuffs: Two buttons horinzotal

Brandenburg cuffs: Three buttons vertical.

What about the red patch at the collar? Upon a 07/10 tunic those red patches didn´t exist. They were worn upon a Litewka. Do you have close-up please?

Can you also please show the sword?

I assume, the painter used "artistic license"... There is something wrong...

Here is a Lieutenant of FAR600 with Litewka and black collar patches:

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by The Prussian

[laurentius]

Dear Andy,

here are several pictures, which will hopefully bring us to a conclusion

14 hours ago, The Prussian said:

Brandenburg cuffs: Three buttons vertical.

14 hours ago, The Prussian said:

What about the red patch at the collar? Upon a 07/10 tunic those red patches didn´t exist. They were worn upon a Litewka. Do you have close-up please?

 

14 hours ago, The Prussian said:

Can you also please show the sword?

Here are the pictures you requested, I have also taken photo's of the boots, the belt and the visor, which doesn't seem to have a chinstrap as we would usually see.

Ever since your last post I have been thinking Andy, maybe this isn't a portrait, as I always assumed, but rather just a painting, to be sold. I'm looking forward to your thoughts.

Kind regards, Laurentius

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by laurentius

[The Prussian]

Hi Laurentius!

Thanks a lot for the photos.

The sabre seems to be an artillery -sabre. Black capband is ok for artillery. The belt was worn by mounted troops. That fits to artillery. Also the black pipings.

BUT we have the problem with the field-artillery shoulder boards and the foot-artillery cuffs...

The red collar-patches don´t make sense to me.

Unfortunately I can´t say more. An uniform like this did not exist.

Here you see the artillery fieldgrey uniforms:

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by The Prussian

[laurentius]

On 25/07/2020 at 05:07, The Prussian said:

BUT we have the problem with the field-artillery shoulder boards and the foot-artillery cuffs...

The red collar-patches don´t make sense to me.

Unfortunately I can´t say more. An uniform like this did not exist.

Hmmm, maybe an Oberleutnant from Köpenick? That's in Berlin after all ??.

Shame that the officer portraited wears a uniform that didn't exist. It makes me wonder, since the painting is around 100 years old, as can be seen from wear and tear on the canvas, why the soldier portraited wears a uniform that didn't exist. Was it perhaps an amalgamation of different uniformparts into something freikorps-y or perhaps nothing more than patriotika? I am grateful nonetheless for your help Andy, couldn't have done it without you.

Kind regards, Laurentius

[Utgardloki]

Maybe the painter didn't bother about details too much, or made the painting based on a photograph and didn't know the colours. I think we can't assume every painter was a uniform expert.

It's a nice, decorative painting after all.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Utgardloki

[The Prussian]

Of course, it is. Good painting! Never mind the few mistakes

[laurentius]

2 hours ago, Utgardloki said:

I think we can't assume every painter was a uniform expert.

Wouldn't be too much to ask I think ?

[Bayern]

Gentlemen , When WW1 began some officers wear plain collar patches on the collar of the 1907 1910 Fielduniform . General Staff officers ,carmine plain patches, Medical officers ,dark blue plain patches piped red , Juridical officers ,light blue piped red and Paymasters officers ,dark blue piped white . finally Veterinarians wear plain crimson patches . and crimson piping of the SBs . but never i noticed about Infantry or  field or foot artillery wearing plain collar patches with 1907 1910 field uniform . probably the Painter embellished the uniform of his client , and not all the Artists know necessary much about uniforms