Alexander Maximilian Seitz (1811-1888) was a German painter.

Life and work

Seitz studied under

Peter von Cornelius Peter von Cornelius (23 September 1783, Düsseldorf – 6 March 1867, Berlin) was a German painter; one of the main representatives of the Nazarene movement. Life Early years Cornelius was born in Düsseldorf. From the age of twelve he attend ...

, and two early pictures, ''Joseph sold by his Brethren'' and the ''Seven Sleepers'', received speedy recognition. Heinrich Maria Hess employed him on the frescoes in the Church of All Saints. After he had painted compositions depicting four of the sacraments, Cornelius took him to Rome. There Seitz found in Friedrich Overbeck a man of the same religious opinions, with a style which he at once sought to make his own. He aided Overbeck in carrying out the

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

es of the

Evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...

s and

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

Castel Gandolfo Castel Gandolfo (, , ; la, Castrum Gandulphi), colloquially just Castello in the Castelli Romani dialects, is a town located southeast of Rome in the Lazio region of Italy. Occupying a height on the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Albano, Castel Ga ...

, and at a later date, when Overbeck's strength was no longer equal to the task, Seitz, with the aid of his son,

Ludwig Seitz Ludovico Seitz, or Ludwig Seitz (11 June 1844, Rome - 11 September 1908, Albano Laziale) was an Italian painter of German ancestry, who served as Director of the Vatican Museums#Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican Galleries. Life and work His father ...

, painted frescoes in the cathedral at Diakovar (Djakovo) in Croatia partly according to Overbeck's and partly according to his own designs. With the help of his son, Seitz painted a cycle of pictures of saints for Herder of

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

. Besides some secular compositions, as the genre pictures of the life of the common people at Rome, he treated pre-eminently scenes and persons of the Old and New Testaments. His pictures of the '' Adoration of the Shepherds'', ''Christ as the Friend of Children'', ''Awakening of the Young Man of Naim'', ''Tribute Money'', ''Jacob and Esau'', and '' The Finding of Moses'', are in the spirit of Overbeck. The ''St. Anthony, and St. Benedict'', as engraved by the Capuchin Bernardo da Monaco, and his ''Mater Amabilis'' aroused admiration; an enthroned Madonna went to England. Among his other works are: ''Translation of St. Catherine to Sinai by angels'', and a round picture of ''

Rest on the Flight into Egypt The Rest on the Flight into Egypt is a subject in Christian art showing Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus resting during their flight into Egypt. The Holy Family is normally shown in a landscape. The subject did not develop until the secon ...

''. In this three angels worship Christ, who lies with outstretched arms on the lap of the mother, while at some distance is Joseph with the beast of burden. In the

Trinità dei Monti The church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti, often called merely the Trinità dei Monti ( French: ''La Trinité-des-Monts''), is a Roman Catholic late Renaissance titular church in Rome, central Italy. It is best known for its position above ...

in Rome he painted in fresco the return of the

Prodigal son The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus Christ in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. Jesus shares the parable with ...

and Christ with heart aflame. Seitz was one of many who commissioned to paint frescoes for the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens of the Annunciation (Orthodox Church of Greece). :el:Μητροπολιτικός Ναός Αθηνών

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seitz, Alexander Maximilian 1811 births 1888 deaths 19th-century German painters German male painters 19th-century German male artists Catholic painters

Life and work

References

Further reading

External links