Karl Ferdinand Sohn (December 10, 1805 in Berlin – November 25, 1867 in Cologne) was a German painter of the Düsseldorf school.
He was born in Berlin and studied there under Wilhelm von Schadow, whom he followed to Düsseldorf. He treated principally mythical and poetic subjects of a highly romantic character, and painted in the mechanically idealistic manner of the Düsseldorf school. He visited Italy (1830–1831) and adopted ideas from the works of the Venetians: Titian, Paolo Veronese, and Palma il Vecchio. In 1832, he was made professor in the Düsseldorf Academy, where he exercised an important influence. Among his best-known works are:
He had two sons (Richard Sohn, born in 1834, and Karl Sohn, born in 1845) who grew up to also be painters. His nephew and pupil, Wilhelm Sohn, (1830–1899), born in Berlin, painted at first biblical subjects, and then devoted himself to genre scenes, good in characterization and drawing and of great coloristic charm. Among these are:
This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.