Sebastian (or Sébastien) Stoskopff (July 13, 1597 – February 10, 1657) was an
Alsatian painter. He is considered one of the most important
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
**Ge ...
still life
A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, bo ...
painters of his time. His works, which were rediscovered after 1930, portray goblets, cups and especially glasses. The reduction to a few objects, which is characteristic of early still life painting, can again be recognized in Stoskopff's painting. His chief works hang in his hometown of
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
, but some of the world's most important art museums (the
MET, the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...
, the
KHM, the
Gemäldegalerie) own paintings by Stoskopff as well.
Life
Sebastian Stoskopff was born in 1597 in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
. His father was employed by the city since 1590 and acted as a mounted courier or royal escort, driving a one-horse carriage. In 1614, Stoskopff's father asked the Strasbourg council for help for his 17-year-old son. He wanted him to be able to learn the craft of painting, since Sebastian had already been extremely talented in drawing and painting since he was 15. The council agreed to provide their support and probably sent the young artist at first to the Strasbourg painter and copper engraver,
Friedrich Brentel
Friedrich Brentel (1580–1651) was a German printmaker in engraving and etching, and miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature painter. He was born in Lauingen and became a citizen of Strasbourg in 1601. His principal work is a set of plates ...
. However, he only learned how to further refine his drawing and was not, as hoped, introduced to the art of painting.
In 1615, Stoskopff's father died and his widowed mother went to the Strasbourg council once again to ask for support for training from a recognized painter. Stoskopff was then sent to
Daniel Soreau, a painter who was active in
Hanau
Hanau () is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main and is part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its station is a major railway junction and it has a port on the ri ...
. In the beginning, Soreau was not very enthusiastic, since he usually chose his apprentices from among his relatives and close friends. However, he finally complied with the request of the council and assured them that would "make an
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...
of this apprentice". There is not a single definite picture by Daniel Soreau existing. It is only possible to draw conclusions about how well the master passed on his artistic skills to his students through the works of his sons, other apprentices of his workshop and through Stoskopff's works.
After Soreau's death in 1619, Stoskopff took over his workshop with the apprentices, as well as his function as the master. One of the apprentices was
Joachim von Sandrart, who later became a successful painter and who wrote the first important work on the history of art in the German language: "Teutsche Academie der Bau-, Bild,- und Malerey- Künste". This work contains descriptions of the lives of earlier and contemporary artists, including descriptions of the time in Hanau with his master, Sebastian Stoskopff.
After his attempt to get permission to settle in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
failed, Stoskopff went to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
. He stayed there from about 1622 until 1639, which can be reconstructed from indirect reports and property inventories of Parisians. His first works in larger format were also created here, such as "Summer" or "Winter" (now both in Strasbourg). A contemporary statement from Sandrart proves his residence in Paris: "''Von dannen''
emeint ist Hanau''verreiste er in Frankreich und hinterließ viele gute Werke; von Pariß zoge er nach Italien (allwo ich ihn zu Venedig Anno 1629 gesehen), hernach wieder zurück nach Pariß und so fürters nach Straßburg''
..("From there
eaning Hanau he travelled to France and left many good works; from Paris, he moved to Italy (where I saw him in Venice in 1629), afterwards again back to Paris and further to Strasbourg
..).
Stoskopff returned to Strasbourg in 1639. This could have been for familial reasons or because of the strong increase of religious conflict in Paris. One year later, he joined the guild of Steltz, to which other painters, copper engravers and craftsmen in the arts belonged. There were several arguments between the artist and the guild after he joined it, among other things because Stoskopff loved his freedom as an independent and self-responsible artist and did not want to operate a workshop with apprentices, as was usually done. He achieved wealth and prestige in Strasbourg and married the stepdaughter of his youngest sister in 1646.
As of 1650, Stoskopff oriented himself more and more toward
Idstein
Idstein () is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt (Old Town) it is part of the ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'' ...
, where he maintained a close and good relationship to the Count
Johannes von Nassau und Idstein in his last phase of creativity up until his death. The Count was a Lutheran and supported the
Protestant Union. He was Stoskopff's most important patron at this time. Joachim von Sandrart was an important contact man who negotiated about Stoskopff's paintings with the Count.
Sebastian Stoskopff died in 1657 at the age of 60 in a public house in Idstein. He was reportedly supposed to have died because of drinking too much alcohol. Nearly 20 years later, Stoskopff's murder became clear during an indictment for witchcraft, in which the owner of the public house and a woman were involved. The owner had killed Stoskopff out of greed.
Influence
Although Sebastian Stoskopff was influenced by
Georg Flegel
Georg Flegel (1566 – 23 March 1638) was a German painter, best known for his still-life works.
Biography
Flegel was born in Olmütz (Olomouc), Moravia. Around 1580 he moved to Vienna, where he became an assistant to Lucas van Valckenborch ...
regarding artistic
composition, it is not known whether he had known Flegel during his lifetime or whether he saw Flegel's works only after his death. Furthermore, his influence appears to have been "rather sporadic and not long lasting".
[Michèle-Caroline Heck: ''Der Einfluss auf Sebastian Stoskopff'' in Kurt Wettengl: ''Georg Flegel (1566 - 1638), Stilleben : [Publikation zur Ausstellung "Georg Flegel (1566 - 1638), Stilleben" des Historischen Museums Frankfurt am Main in Zusammenarbeit mit der Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt vom 18. Dezember bis 13. Februar 1994]''. Hatje, Stuttgart 1993, ]
Gallery
Sebastian Stoskopff - Trompe l’Oeil (Galatea) - GG 3553 - Kunsthistorisches Museum.jpg, ''Trompe l’Oeil ( Galatea)'' (Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( "Museum of Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, it is crowned with an octagonal d ...
)
Still Life with Shells and a Chip-Wood Box MET DT1990.jpg, ''Still Life with Shells and a Chip-Wood Box'' (Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
)
Sebastian Stoskopff - The Four Elements - WGA21826.jpg, ''The Four Elements'' ( Kunstmuseum Basel)
Sebastian Stoskopff - Large Still-Life - WGA21835.jpg, ''Large Still Life'' ( Residenzgalerie)
Sebastian Stoskopff 002.jpg, ''Books and a Candle'' (Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen () is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from the two most important collectors of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. It is located ...
)
Sebastian Stoskopff - Still Life with Statuette and Shells - WGA21828.jpg, ''Still Life with Statuette and Shells'' (Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...
)
Sebastian Stoskopff - Still-Life with Glasses and Bottles - WGA21829.jpg, ''Still Life with Glasses and Bottles'' ( Gemäldegalerie, Berlin)
Sebastian Stoskopff, Metallgefässe und Gläser in einem Korb.jpg, ''Metal Vessels and Glassware in a Basket'' ( Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe)
Sébastien Stoskopff, Carpe sur une boîte à copeaux.jpg, ''Still Life with Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
on a Chip Box'' ( Kunsthalle Bremen)
Further information
References
Literature
''All references in German, except where noted''
* Ebert-Schifferer, Sybille (1998): Die Geschichte des Stillebens. Munich: Hirmer.
* Hahn - Woernle, Birgit: Sebastian Stoskopff: Mit einem kritischen Werkverzeichnis der Gemälde. Stuttgart 1996.
* Müller, Prof. Dr. : Die Stilleben- Bildkunst des Sebastian Stoskopff. In: Ausst.- Kat. Sebastian Stoskopff- sein Leben- sein Werk- seine Zeit, publ. by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang J. Müller/ Silvia Berger. Idstein 1987.
* Heck, Michèle- Caroline: Sébastian Stoskopff: 1597- 1657. Un maître de la nature morte. Strasbourg 1997. (in French, also available as a German translation)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stoskopff, Sebastian
1597 births
1657 deaths
Artists from Strasbourg
Alsatian-German people
French Baroque painters
German Baroque painters
17th-century German painters
German male painters
Painters from Alsace
French still life painters
German still life painters