Georg Melchior Kraus
Encyclopedia
Georg Melchior Kraus was a German painter. A student of Johann Heinrich Tischbein
, he was also a teacher himself (his pupils included Ferdinand Jagemann
), as well as an entrepreneur and friend of Goethe. He was a co-founder of the Fürstliche freie Zeichenschule Weimar with Friedrich Justin Bertuch
in 1776.
From 1759 to 1762 he trained in the studio of the court painter Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder
at the court of landgraf Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel. In November 1762 Georg Melchior travelled to Paris to study under the best-known copper-engraver of the time, Johann Georg Wille
. In Paris he also came into contact with the genre painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze
and soon became "genre painter familiar to His Holiness the prince bishop of Wirsbourg"
At the end of 1766 Kraus returned to Frankfurt, at first becoming a private tutor and genre painter. He maintained his French contacts so well that in 1776 he was included on Colisée's list as a genre painter. In Frankfurt his pupils included Sophie von La Roche
, Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi
and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whilst he also unsuccessfully petitioned the city council for the establishment of a painting academy on 2 April 1767.
Johann Heinrich Tischbein
Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder, called the Kasseler, , was one of the most respected European painters in the 18th century and an important member of the Tischbein dynasty of German painters, which spanned four generations.His work consisted primarily of portraits of the nobility, mythology...
, he was also a teacher himself (his pupils included Ferdinand Jagemann
Ferdinand Jagemann
-Life:As son of the librarian Christian Joseph Jagemann, he was brother to the actress Karoline Jagemann. Karoline was mistress to Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who allowed Ferdinand to train with the Tischbein painters. He was also a student of the court-painter Georg...
), as well as an entrepreneur and friend of Goethe. He was a co-founder of the Fürstliche freie Zeichenschule Weimar with Friedrich Justin Bertuch
Friedrich Justin Bertuch
Friedrich Johann Justin Bertuch was a German publisher and patron of the arts. He co-founded the Fürstliche freie Zeichenschule Weimar with the painter Georg Melchior Kraus in 1776. He was the father of the writer and journalist Karl Bertuch.-Early life:Bertuch came from a family attested in the...
in 1776.
Life
Georg Melchior Kraus was the sixth of nine children, though five of these died before reaching a year. His parents Cornelia Kraus (née Paulsen) and Johann Georg Kraus ran the "Zur weissen Schlangen" hotel in the Sandgasse in Frankfurt. Georg Melchior Kraus was eight when his father remarried after Cornelia's early death.From 1759 to 1762 he trained in the studio of the court painter Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder
Johann Heinrich Tischbein
Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder, called the Kasseler, , was one of the most respected European painters in the 18th century and an important member of the Tischbein dynasty of German painters, which spanned four generations.His work consisted primarily of portraits of the nobility, mythology...
at the court of landgraf Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel. In November 1762 Georg Melchior travelled to Paris to study under the best-known copper-engraver of the time, Johann Georg Wille
Johann Georg Wille
Johann Georg Wille was a notable German copper engraver active in Germany and France....
. In Paris he also came into contact with the genre painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Jean-Baptiste Greuze was a French painter.-Early life:He was born at Tournus, Saône-et-Loire. He is generally said to have formed his own talent; this is, however, true only in the most limited sense, for at an early age his inclinations, though thwarted by his father, were encouraged by a...
and soon became "genre painter familiar to His Holiness the prince bishop of Wirsbourg"
At the end of 1766 Kraus returned to Frankfurt, at first becoming a private tutor and genre painter. He maintained his French contacts so well that in 1776 he was included on Colisée's list as a genre painter. In Frankfurt his pupils included Sophie von La Roche
Sophie von La Roche
Maria Sophie von La Roche was a German novelist. She was born in Kaufbeuren and died in Offenbach am Main.-Biography:...
, Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi
Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi
Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi was an influential German philosopher, literary figure, socialite and the younger brother of poet Johann Georg Jacobi...
and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whilst he also unsuccessfully petitioned the city council for the establishment of a painting academy on 2 April 1767.
Literary work
- Georg Melchior Kraus: ABC des Zeichners, von G. M. Kraus, Herzogl. S. W. Rath und Director der herzogl. Freien Zeichenschule in Weimar, 5. Aufl. Weimar 1810.