Martin Johann Schmidt

Martin Johann Schmidt, called Kremser Schmidt, ( born September 25, 1718 Grafenwörth, † June 28, 1801 in Stein an der Donau ) was next to Franz Anton Maulbertsch the most outstanding painter of the Austrian late Baroque / Rococo. At the same time he is probably the only native of Lower Austria Baroque painter of international standing.

Life and work

He was the son of the sculptor Johannes Schmidt and students Gottfried Star Mayr. For most of his life spent Kremser Schmidt in stone, where he mainly worked on churches and monasteries of the environment; Influences the plant found mainly by Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacob van sheds, and the fresco painter Paul Troger and Daniel Gran

Although he had enjoyed no academic art training, he was in 1768 (and as a history painter ) was added to the Wiener Akademie - the receiving pieces award of Midas and The Forge of Vulcan are now in the Belvedere in Vienna. However, his domain were mainly devotional and altarpieces (such as in the monastery church Scheibbs ). Unlike usual Baroque paintings have this rather popular trains and already helped him in his lifetime to great popularity. In addition, he was an important artist and left numerous etchings. In it, there are echoes of Rembrandt van Rijn.

His paintings are held in warm light and dark tones, from the 1770s they gain a strong flavor and restless color. In this they recall Franz Anton Maulbertsch, and one could certainly speak of " impressionistic " subjective appearance, especially his paintings behave completely opposite to shortly after establishing itself ends classicism. This also corresponds with an increased just at this time personal religiosity (again, against every spirit ).

In the 1780s he worked on again with mythological motifs and genre scenes.

Not least because of his long life, the list of his works is very extensive. The main works of the master are in the picture gallery of the monastery of St. Paul in Carinthia. These are mainly large images - including the famous Last Supper ( 227 x 391 cm). Smaller works are in greater numbers in the pins Göttweig and Seitenstettengasse.

Works

Students / workshop

The student of Martin Johann Schmidt put the oeuvre of your master continued almost identical, so that a proportion of works for the layman is often difficult. Also drop your work and style into one of these arts less favorable time and are still rather forget.

• Anton Mayer ( * ca 1777, † 1852)
• Leopold Mitterhofer
• Andreas Rudroff
• Andreas Kitzberger