Wild Boars in the Winter Forest

Wilhelm Hermann Friedrich Buddenberg was born on 16 July 1890 in Trier, Germany, the son of a textile merchant who owned a hunting estate nearby. After completing secondary school at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gymnasium, he began studying architecture in 1911 at the Technical University in Berlin, but his passion for art led him to transfer to the Berlin-Charlottenburg Academy of Fine Arts. There he studied under Friedrich Kallmorgen and Paul Vorgang. In his first year, he won an academy prize that allowed him to undertake a study trip. Instead of travelling to Rome, as was customary, he chose Norway to observe moose in their natural habitat. He completed six semesters at the academy and graduated with distinction. As his father did not support his artistic path, he had to finance his studies himself by working as an illustrator and occasionally as a construction worker.

During the First World War, Buddenberg volunteered for the 7th Rhenish Infantry Regiment No. 69 in Trier. He rose to the rank of officer and was awarded both the First and Second Class Iron Cross, as well as the Wound Badge. After the war, he undertook extensive study trips through Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Poland and the Baltic States. In Germany he explored regions such as the Eifel, the Hunsrück, the Harz, Pomerania, Mecklenburg, East Prussia, and the Teutoburg Forest, all of which served as inspiration for his paintings.

After marrying, Buddenberg settled again in Trier, where he became a member of the newly established Association of Visual Artists and Art Lovers of the Trier District in 1930. His oeuvre focused mainly on animals in forest landscapes, often with a hunting theme. In 1936, he was awarded a silver medal at the International Hunting Exhibition in Berlin. During the Second World War, his home in Trier was destroyed by bombing, prompting him to relocate with his family to Neuss. There, he produced numerous scenes set in the Rhine plain, featuring wild hares, ducks, pheasants and river landscapes. In the post-war years, he participated in various exhibitions and received multiple silver and gold medals. His final major public exhibition took place in 1954 at a hunting fair in Düsseldorf.

In addition to his painting, Buddenberg was a skilled illustrator. He contributed illustrations to several important books on hunting, published by Paul Parey, such as Das deutsche Waidwerk, Das Rehwild, Das Rotwild, and Die Hege in der freien Wildbahn. His work also appeared in leading hunting journals such as Wild und Hund and Deutsche Jägerzeitung. Paintings by Buddenberg are held in several public collections, including the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede, the German Hunting and Fishing Museum in Munich, and the Wine Museum in Trier.

Wilhelm Buddenberg died on 2 February 1967 in Neuss. His work continues to be appreciated for its faithful depictions of wildlife and his ability to capture atmosphere and movement. Though he never belonged to the most widely known artists of his time, he remains a respected figure among collectors and enthusiasts of classical hunting art.