Adolf Zimmermann
Gottlob Adolf Zimmermann ( born September 1, 1799 in Lodenau, Upper Lusatia, † July 17, 1859 in Breslau) was a German painter and belonged to the group of artists of the Düsseldorf Nazarene.
Life and work
The father Johann Gottlob Zimmermann was stately servants at Schloss Lodenau with Count Adolf Friedrich Abraham Gersdorf. For his faithful services he received next to a plot in Neusorge some rights for future livelihood as a reward. For the first-born son Adolf Graf took over the sponsorship and provided financially for his future education.
Adolf Zimmermann was a student at Moravian Pädagogium in Niesky, where his artistic talent was encouraged. Following this, he should learn a craft in Herrnhut. This determination he escaped, probably with the support of landowners shaft and went to the Art Academy in Dresden, which accepted him as a student. From 1818 to 1825 he studied painting with Ferdinand Hartmann and a native of Görlitz Johann Carl Roessler. His fellow students were, among others William of Kügelgen, Karl Heinrich Koopmann and Carl Gottlieb Peschel.
After graduating Zimmermann got on the recommendation of the Director of the Academy, Count Heinrich Vitzthum of Eckstadt a royal scholarship to undertake an educational trip to Italy. In the fall of 1825 he went with his friend Carl Peschel on the way to Rome. The journey took them to Stuttgart, where they visited the sculptor Johann Heinrich Dannecker, via Munich, where she met Peter Cornelius on the painting scaffold in the Glyptothek, further to the Tyrol, Switzerland and over the Alps to Italy.
On November 7, 1825 reached Zimmermann Rome. There he met fellow artists such as Ludwig Richter, Friedrich Overbeck, Julius Schnorr von Carol Field, Bonaventura Genelli and pulled together with the painter Adolf Lößner.
Zimmermann sketched landscapes and studied the great painter. A highlight of his stay was probably the trip with Joseph of Fiihrich, with whom he visited the antiquities and art treasures in Naples and Capri. On this occasion he met the painter Carl Blechen and August Kopisch know.
1826 was a carpenter for two more years royal support for his studies in Rome. The grant awarded for 1829 scholarship took the painter surprisingly for his return trip to Germany.
The faithful Evangelical Zimmermann left Rome presumably due to religious disagreements, because he did not join as many of his beleaguered fellow painters to the Catholic faith. It was felt, with a Catholic world view one could achieve great things in the biblical history painting. However, His bride, he explained his intention to leave Italy, in a letter that he could not begin much with the previous support and additional funds have not been granted to him.
In April 1830, the painter went on with filled sketchbooks to Germany. Finally Over Pisa, Perugia, Florence, Fiesole, Venice, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, Freiburg, Frankfurt and Cologne, he came back to Dresden.
He took up residence in the suburb of Pirna on the Elbe and worked as a teacher of drawing and portrait painter. The latter was a carpenter not enough, because he felt strongly drawn to historical and biblical paintings. Also on the order situation, he complained: "The number of artists increased in the same proportion as the public's interest decreases. " And decided to leave Dresden in 1834.
With a letter of recommendation to the wealthy Westphalian nobility Zimmermann settled in Munster and then won several contracts.
In the fall of 1834 he was visited by an artist from Düsseldorf. This raved about him from the Academy and advised him to present his Dresden work there. Following the advice, the painter was able to sell one of his paintings. Then he met with Wilhelm von Schadow, director of the Art Academy and settled for the " divine art " in the winter of 1834/35 to Dusseldorf on.
The Romantics Schadow wanted to get away from the artificial stylized painting again towards naturalness. The concept and his teaching talent helped the Düsseldorf school of painting its outstanding reputation and many successes on the art exhibitions. He took Zimmermann despite big rush on to the master class as an independently working artists and encouraged him at first.
A second time became a carpenter in a religious battle that broke out between those called to the East German Academy, predominantly Protestant artists and the long-established Catholic Rhine countries. Schadow, who joined in Rome to the Catholic faith, now turned against the emerging Protestant artists. For the sensitive Zimmermann, the religion represented a need, started a hard time of suffering.
Since the painter deserved well the last few years, he decided in 1837 to marry his long-time bride and bring them to Dusseldorf. The financial situation of the couple deteriorated now, due to lack of sales opportunities as a result of the political and theological disputes. The wife decided in 1842 to return with the two boys in her parents' home in order to reduce the high household expenses. The separation from family and the now -born daughter, since his Rome ailing health and the ongoing religious disputes could think the painter a departure from Dusseldorf.
The art historian Karl Zimmermann Schnaase recommended to go to Wroclaw, since he held the city due to low competition ideal for a hard-working painter. Zimmermann then asked his former pastor in Rome, the Heidelberg professor of theology Richard Rothe for advice. Rothe like remembering his faithful parishioner and wrote to his brother in law, the superintendent August cock in Wroclaw, to take up with the request of the painter.
Zimmermann 1846 moved with his family to Wroclaw. Due to some of the recommendations of the artists also received orders soon, while it was initially mainly to portraiture and a few biblical images. One of his clients was the Catholic Prince-Bishop Heinrich Förster. The art intelligent clergyman bought Zimmermann some pictures with Biblical themes from, and instructed the painter to copy some of his work.
For the early 1850s Zimmermann complained of constantly falling prices for his work. The nobility paid due to low harvests bad. For narrow Honorary he portrayed often far from Wroclaw to their goods.
As became noticeable around 1855 declining in Zimmermann eyesight and a cholera -like illness weakened him, the painter got financial help from many colleagues highlight was his friend Hermann Plüddemann drawn to Dresden. Obertribunalrat Schnaase tried in vain to him to provide a teaching and stood unsuccessfully requests for financial aid.
On July 17, 1859 Zimmermann died in Breslau. " A [ ... ] fatigued fighter for the divine art ', whose disciple he remained pure despite all the hostility and disappointment. "
Family
During his studies Zimmermann held often in Niesky. During this period he painted some portraits of wealthy citizens. In such occasion, he met the daughters of the soap manufacturer Geller know and fell in love with Amalie, the younger of the two sisters.
The bride's parents were opposed to a connection with the poor artists. Twelve years she married secretly a lively correspondence. In December 1837 the couple finally held in Niesky wedding. The couple had two boys and a daughter.
Adolf Zimmermann's younger brother Maurice (1804-1876) was since 1840 Rector of Rothenburg's city school.
Works
The artistic estate carpenter was auctioned in 1860 in Dresden, while it was more than 100 drawings and oil studies. His works can be found today in churches, in the Dresden Print Room and in private collections. The Cultural History Museum Görlitz was able to celebrate 2004 on a donation from the heirs of the artist. The convolute included 4 paintings, 150 drawings and handwriting.
Selection
- Self-portrait, Dresden 1821
- The Visitation. "My soul lift up the Lord! ", 1829
- S. Jerome, 1830
- Boaz and Ruth, 1831
- The Adoration of the Shepherds, Dusseldorf 1834
- Christ with Mary and Martha, Dusseldorf 1836
- Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus. The disciples invite the Savior into her house, Dusseldorf 1836
- Jacob after he wrestled with the angel, blessed by this, Dusseldorf 1838
- Rinaldo and Armida, Dusseldorf 1839
- The Entombment of Christ, Dusseldorf 1841
- The Holy Family. Rest on the Flight to Egypt, Dusseldorf 1842
- Christ with the disciples in Emmaus, Dusseldorf 1842
- The Holy Family at the Fountain, 1842
- Mary with the Infant Christ, 1842
- Judith with the Head of Holofernes, Dusseldorf 1843
- The Deposition from the Cross, 1844
- Lazarus and the rich man, about 1844