Hans Donauer

Hans Donauer the Elder, also Donnauer, Thonauer, Thun Auer and Tonauer (* around 1521 probably in Munich, † between March and May 7, 1596 ) was a German painter.

About Donauer training is not known. He made for Duke Albrecht V a frieze gods in the ballroom of Dachau Palace. His paintings at the city's Castle Church have not survived.

Since 1567 he was a master and joined in 1568 the services of Crown Prince Wilhelm, who in 1569 sent him to Rome, where he was to acquire pieces for the Kunstkammer of the Crown Prince. After that he worked until 1573 on the frescoes in the great hall of Trausnitz with.

In 1574 he was commissioned to prepare in Neuburg an der Donau, the wedding of the Count Palatine Philipp Ludwig. He designed, among other things, the wedding event. 1576 he returned to Munich. 1575/76 he created the two globes in the Bavarian State Library, in 1577 the vault in the New Veste.

Donauer was still very versatile active. For the Jesuit drama Hester he designed the sets and in 1578 he designed clothes and flags tournament for Duke Ferdinand. Since 1584 he painted the windows of the Antiquarium in the Munich Residenz. Here he created the earliest series of Bavarian Ortsansichten.

1588 he took part in the equipment of the Bavarian fleet on Lake Starnberg. His son Hans Donauer the Younger was also a noted painter.