Robert Theer (5 November 1808, Johannesberg – 15 July 1863,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) was a painter and

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

from the Austrian Empire. He is primarily remembered as a

miniaturist A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

Life and work

He was born to (née Junker), an

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

designer, and Joseph Theer, a

gemcutter Lapidary (from the Latin ) is the practice of shaping stone, minerals, or gemstones into decorative items such as cabochons, engraved gems (including cameos), and faceted designs. A person who practices lapidary is known as a lapidarist. A lap ...

. Both of his younger brothers,

Adolf Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and to a lesser extent in vari ...

and

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...

, also became painters. In 1820, his family moved from

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

to Vienna.Adolf Kettner, "Die Künstlerfamilie Theer", in: ''Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kulturgeschichte Österreichisch-Schlesiens'', Vol.6, #3, 1911
Online)
/ref> He displayed a talent for drawing at an early age, and was sent to the

Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien) is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. History The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy modelled on the Accademia di Sa ...

. There, he attended the

engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ...

school from 1821 to 1824, and was tutored by Josef Klieber. From 1823 to 1829, he studied

history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

. He eventually specialized in portrait miniatures and was influenced by

Moritz Michael Daffinger Moritz Michael Daffinger (25 January 1790 – 21 August 1849) was an Austrian miniature painter and sculptor. Life Daffinger was born in Vienna, the son of Johann Daffinger (1748–1796), a painter at the local Vienna Porcelain Manuf ...

. By the age of sixteen, he opened his own studio. He soon attracted an upper-class clientele. He exhibited at the Academy from 1828, and became a member there in 1843. The painter, , was one of his students. His portraits, mostly done on

vitreous enamel Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between . The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating. The word comes from the Lati ...

and

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...

, numbered in the thousands. Occasionally, he would recreate the portraits as lithographs. A notable instance is that of the Emperor Ferdinand I, whose face was reproduced on over 150

snuff box A decorative box is a form of packaging that is generally more than just functional, but also intended to be decorative and artistic. Many such boxes are used for promotional packaging, both commercially and privately. Historical objects are u ...

es. He also made copies of the

Old Masters In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

. His earnings were spent on acquiring a private art collection and acting as a patron to his underemployed artist friends. For example, he commissioned the engraver, Joseph Steinmüller (1795-1841) to create an intricate copy of the " Madonna del Prato" by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

. The increasing popularity of the

daguerrotype Daguerreotype (; french: daguerréotype) was the first publicly available photographic process; it was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre an ...

decreased his income, however, and left him unable to meet his obligations. He attempted to counter this trend by changing his style and introducing non-realistic elements, but this failed to slow his gradual impoverishment. He died at the age of fifty-four and was buried in the

Wiener Zentralfriedhof The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...

References

External links

More works by Theer
@ ArtNet {{DEFAULTSORT:Theer, Robert 1808 births 1863 deaths Painters from the Austrian Empire Portrait painters Lithographers Portrait miniaturists People from Javorník

Life and work

References

Further reading

External links