Johann Michael Graff ( lv, Johans Mihaels Grafs; sometimes also Johann Michael Graaf, Johann Michael Graaff, Johann Michael Graf or Johann Michael Kraff, fl. c. 1765-68), was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

sculptor and plasterer. Among his most celebrated decorations are those at

Schönhausen Palace Schönhausen Palace (german: Schloss Schönhausen) is a Baroque palace at Niederschönhausen, in the borough of Pankow, Berlin, Germany. It is surrounded by gardens through which the Panke river runs. The palace is maintained by the Prussian Pal ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and

Rundāle Palace Rundāle Palace ( lv, Rundāles pils; german: Schloss Ruhental, formerly Ruhenthal or Ruhendahl) is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia, the other being Jelgava Palace. The palace was built i ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

. Graff came from a family of stucco decorators from

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

who were members of the so-called

Wessobrunner School The Wessobrunner School is the name for a group of Baroque stucco-workers that, beginning at the end of the 17th century, developed in the Benedictine Wessobrunn Abbey in Bavaria, Germany. The names of more than 600 stucco-workers who emerged f ...

. He seems to have moved to

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

at some point, where he was influenced by the decorative style predominant in and around

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. He very probably made decorations for

before being hired by the

Duke of Courland The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia ( la, Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; german: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; lv, Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste; lt, Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė; pl, Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii) was ...

Peter von Biron Peter von Biron (15 February 1724 – 13 January 1800) was the last Duke of Courland and Semigallia, from 1769 to 1795. Life and reign Peter was born in Jelgava (german: Mitau) as the oldest son of Ernst Johann von Biron, future Duke of Courl ...

, to decorate his residences in present-day

. He is known to have decorated

Jelgava Palace Jelgava Palace ( lv, Jelgavas pils) or historically Mitau Palace ( lv, Mītavas pils, german: Schloss Mitau) is the largest Baroque-style palace in the Baltic states. It was built in the 18th century based on the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli as ...

(decorations destroyed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

) and Rundāle Palace for the Duke. In present-day

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

, he also made lavish stucco decorations for

Põltsamaa Castle Põltsamaa Castle ( et, Põltsamaa linnus; german: Schloss Oberpahlen), also Põltsamaa Order Castle, ( et, Põltsamaa ordulinnus), is a castle in Põltsamaa, Jõgeva County, in eastern Estonia. History The castle was founded by the Livonian Or ...

(destroyed during

), and possibly at Kabala Manor.

Gallery

File:Décor du salon dor (Palais de Rundale) (7656394248).jpg, Stucco decoration by Johann Michael Graff in

File:Décor dune alcôve (Palais de Rundale) (7656399266).jpg, Stucco decoration by Johann Michael Graff in

File:Décor en stuc du salon blanc (Palais de Rundale).jpg, Stucco decoration by Johann Michael Graff in

File:PDR 0011.JPG, Stucco decoration by Johann Michael Graff in

File:Marmorsaal.jpg, Stucco decoration by Johann Michael Graff in

(destroyed)

References

{{reflist German sculptors German male sculptors Rococo sculptors