Johann Gottfried Steffan
Johann Gottfried Steffan ( born December 13, 1815 in Wädenswil, † June 16, 1905 in Munich ) was one of the most important Swiss landscape painters of the 19th century. He is one of the well-known representatives of the Munich school.
Life
After an apprenticeship as Schriftlithograf in his home town Steffan traveled to Munich in 1833 for further training. He attended the local Academy of Fine Arts under Peter von Cornelius. Under the influence of Carl Rottmann, he turned to the realistic landscape painting. Steffan's studio became the center of the Swiss artist in Munich. In his studio, among others worked Arnold Böcklin. With numerous colleagues - including Rudolf Koller - he went on study trips to the Swiss Alps, preferably into the Glarus region and the Lake Walen. In later years he visited increasingly Berchtesgaden and Ramsau, where he found many of his motives. Steffans images are idealized landscapes of the Munich school, preferably mountain views. At least one third represent pre-alpine landscapes