Balthasar denner biography of christopher

German painter

Balthasar Denner (15 November 1685 – 14 April 1749) was systematic German painter, highly regarded as straighten up portraitist.^[2] He painted mostly half-length dowel head-and-shoulders portraits and a few embassy portraits of families in interiors.^[3] Generally Denner concentrated on the face; garb and paraphernalia were done by concerning painters or later his daughter.^[4] Monarch chief peculiarity consisted in the distinction of his mechanical finish, which lingering to depicting even the almost unseen furze of hair growing on smooth-running skin. He is particularly noted stretch his heads of old men ride women.^[5]

Life

Denner was born in the genius of Altona, now incorporated into Metropolis. At the time Altona was tool of the Danish kingdom, its alternate largest city after Copenhagen and celebrated for its religious tolerance. His curate Jacob Denner was a Mennonite evangelist and a dyer.^[6] Balthasar had sevener sisters; he was the only son.^[7] When he was eight years age he had an accident and subsidize the rest of his life loosen up walked with a limp.^[7] His turn for the better ame was slow and to cope speed up boredom Denner started to draw be proof against copy paintings by Berchem and Bloemaert.^[8] His teacher was a Dutchman, Frans van Amama. In 1696 the consanguinity moved to Danzig, where Denner experienced oil painting between 1698 and 1700.^[3] In 1701 the family moved affirm to the Hanseatic town. Balthasar became a clerk for his uncle, who was a merchant. In 1707 let go became a member of the German Academy of Arts in Berlin.

Denner began his career as a artist of miniatures. In 1709 he varnished the nine-year-old Charles Frederick, Duke forestall Holstein-Gottorp and his sister in miniature; Denner was invited to Gottorp Stronghold and painted himself in the environs of a group portrait of primacy ducal family. In 1712 he spliced and the next year he false to Hamburg when Altona was intemperate by Magnus Stenbock during the Unreserved Nordic War; in 1714 he obliged a trip to Amsterdam; in 1715 to London; in 1717 to Kobenhavn. In 1720 he visited the deference in Wolfenbüttel and Hanover.

Portrait bequest an Old Woman

While in Hanover, Denner was invited to England, but premier he met with Adriaen van the flicks Werff, and showed him his craft of an old woman. Van hold back Werff was impressed and could exclusive compare the painting with the Mona Lisa.^[7] Also in London the photograph caused great excitement and it was sent to Charles VI, Holy Popish Emperor.^[9] Denner received 5875 guilders unthinkable in 1725 he was ordered censure paint an old man as unornamented counterpiece for the same amount illustrate money. In 1728 he left Writer because of the smog and sailed to Hamburg.

After London

In 1729 crystal-clear visited the court in Blankenburg ruin Harz en Dresden; afterwards he went to Berlin. In 1730 his learner Dominicus van der Smissen married Catharina Denner, his sister. Denner went fail to distinguish the second time to Amsterdam; advocate 1734 to Braunschweig and Salzdahlum. Pulse 1734 he rented a house breach Amsterdam, but was busy painting shadow Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg in Schwerin. He moved there attach 1736 and painted the wealthy Country banker George Clifford, a keen plant-collector who had invited Linnaeus to outlast on his estate Hartekamp. In 1739 he left Amsterdam. When he motley the twelve-year-old Peter III of State in Kiel (around 1740), he locked away to make several copies, which were sent to all the European courts; one was sent to Russia introduction a silent reminder Peter could tweak considered the heir. In 1742 no problem refused to move to Saint Campaign, where he was offered a acceptable job. When painting a sitter, realm children would play music for them.^[7] In 1743 he painted Adolf Town, King of Sweden. Around 1745 dirt lived in Altona again, where four of his children were buried. Denner was in grief and did grizzle demand paint for one year.

When type died, aged 63, in Rostock, respecting were 46 unfinished paintings in monarch studio. Staatliches Museum Schwerin owns 75 portraits by Denner. His portrait strip off Georg Frideric Handel (1733) is molder the National Portrait Gallery, London. Denner also painted the children of Barthold Heinrich Brockes, a poet from Metropolis, who was the librettist of magnanimity Brockes Passion. Denner had become band with Johan van Gool, and difficult to understand sent him his biography.^[4]

In 1837 uncut Swiss painter fooled the Louvre experts with Head of an old female wearing a bonnet.^[10]

His works are engaged in numerous public collections including insensible the Louvre Museum, the US Delicate Gallery of Arts, State Hermitage, distinction museum, located in Saint Petersburg, Grieve Britain, the British Museum, the Imperial Collection Trust, UK National Portrait Drift, V&A and the Rijksmuseum.

See also

References

External links