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Why would an artist, born into German nobility, buy a farm in a remote corner of Saskatchewan and end his days painting in near seclusion?Mrs. Carl Imhoff, daughter in law of Count Berthold Von Imhoff, late of St. Walburg, says her husband's father "had a lot of pictures to paint, and he couldn't get at it when there were too many people around."

By Jean Macpherson of the Star Phoenix

Berthold Imhoff, who did not use his title, built the studio on his St. Walburg farm in 1913 and painted there until his death in 1939. His paintings, 180 of them, still hang in the little studio which is unlighted and unheated but which attracts several hundred tourists a year. More of Imhoff's works hang in the Barr Colonists' museum in Lloydminster.

Religious paintings were Berthold Imhoff's first love through his art training in Mannheim, Germany where he was born in 1868. Moving to Reading, Penn. at age 24, he established a small studio and became busy painting biblical subjects in nearby churches. When the demands upon his time became too great, he moved his family (six children were born in Pennsylvania) to the St Walburg farm. Again he rapidly became known for his church paintings, and donated his time to paint religious subjects in the Roman Catholic Church in St. Walburg and the church at Butte St. Pierre, 16 miles south, where his family attended Mass. This church will be moved this year to Paradise Hill, Mrs. Imhoff said, and will be open to tourists.

He was an artist to the core, and tried all types of painting, using canvasses and oils he imported from Germany. His St. Walburg collection includes, besides the predominating religious works, still life, portraits, landscapes and historical paintings.

One large work, an heroic portrayal of the Emperor Frederick III, King of Prussia for 90 days and father of Kaiser Wilhelm II, won artist Imnoff a German Art Academy award when he was only 16 years old.

He hired a carpenter to come in and make frames for his pictures, and apparently made no effort at any time to sell any of his works. The entire collection was left to his family upon his death. He taught his three sons what he knew of painting, including his special techniques which make his subjects seem to face the viewer squarely no matter where he is standing. Though several members of his immediate family and grandchildren paint, none makes it a vocation.