Christoph Thomas Scheffler
Encyclopedia
Christoph Thomas Schaffler (sometimes written Schäffler, December 20, 1699 – January 25, 1756) was a German
painter of the rococo
period. He is best known for his fresco
es.
Scheffler was born in Mainburg
and learned the trade of a painter from his father Wolfgang Scheffler. Between 1719 and 1722, he worked as a journeyman for Cosmas Damian Asam
. In 1722, he joined the Jesuit Order as a lay brother
and painted several churches for the order. After he had left the order in 1728, he settled in Augsburg
, where he died in 1756.
Among his works are the frescoes of the St. Cäcilia church in Heusenstamm
, which was built by Balthasar Neumann
for the Schönborn-Heusenstamm family, and those of the Saint Paulin Church
in Trier
, funded by Elector
Franz Georg von Schönborn. The frescoes in the chapel of the Deutschhaus
in Mainz, painted by Scheffler, were destroyed during World War II
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
painter of the rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
period. He is best known for his fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es.
Scheffler was born in Mainburg
Mainburg
Mainburg is a town in the district of Kelheim, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Abens, 30 km northwest of Landshut and 30 km southeast of Ingolstadt....
and learned the trade of a painter from his father Wolfgang Scheffler. Between 1719 and 1722, he worked as a journeyman for Cosmas Damian Asam
Cosmas Damian Asam
Cosmas Damian Asam was a German painter and architect during the late Baroque period. Born in Benediktbeuern, he moved to Rome in 1711 to study at the Accademia di San Luca with Carlo Maratta. There, he could see the fresco Ascensione di Cristo by Melozzo da Forlì in Santi Apostoli Church...
. In 1722, he joined the Jesuit Order as a lay brother
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...
and painted several churches for the order. After he had left the order in 1728, he settled in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, where he died in 1756.
Among his works are the frescoes of the St. Cäcilia church in Heusenstamm
Heusenstamm
Heusenstamm is a town of over 18,000 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.- Geography :- Location :The town lies on the river Bieber. Heusenstamm is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district...
, which was built by Balthasar Neumann
Balthasar Neumann
Johann Balthasar Neumann , also known as Balthasar Neumann, was a [German] military artillery engineer and architect who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Italian, and French elements to design some of the most impressive buildings of the period,...
for the Schönborn-Heusenstamm family, and those of the Saint Paulin Church
Saint Paulin Church
Saint Paulin Church is a Baroque church in the city of Trier, Germany. Constructed between 1734 and 1753, the interior was designed by Johann Balthasar Neumann. The ceiling of the nave features a painting by the artist Christoph Thomas Scheffler...
in Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, funded by Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Franz Georg von Schönborn. The frescoes in the chapel of the Deutschhaus
Deutschhaus Mainz
The Deutschhaus or Deutschordenskommende is a historical building in Mainz, western Germany, which is presently the seat of the Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag.- History :...
in Mainz, painted by Scheffler, were destroyed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.