Carl Bretzke

Carl Bretzke is known for his nighttime paintings, also known as Nocturnes. It is in these nocturne paintings that Bretzke can investigate the different colors emanating from different light sources, both natural and artificial. Luminous tonal qualities enchant the viewer.  Bretzke is a representational painter who specializes in urban scenes and plein air landscapes. Carl's work has been exhibited extensively in Minnesota and California, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Carl's work has been described in the Washington Post as "simultaneously intimate and detached…the artist's unadorned style recalls Edward Hopper and The Ashcan School." Bretzke holds an MD degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Colorado, where he also received a minor in fine art. He has also trained extensively under Plein Air Painters of America signature artist Joseph Paquet.