Matthäus Günther (also Mathäus Günther) (7 September 1705 – 30 September 1788) was an important German

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

and

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...

of the Baroque and

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, ...

era. Günther, who was born in Peissenberg (at that time: Tritschengreith), helped develop the rococo style of painting in

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 l ...

and

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

, working on over 40 churches. His known work includes about 70 frescoes and 25 panels. In particular, he was known for his lifelike imagery and lively coloring. Günther studied in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

from 1723 to 1728 with

Cosmas Damian Asam Cosmas Damian Asam (29 September 1686 – 10 May 1739) was a German painter and architect during the late Baroque period. Born in Benediktbeuern, he lived in Rome from 1711 to 1713 to study at the Accademia di San Luca with Carlo Maratta ...

, the older of the two

Asam brothers The Asam brothers ( Cosmas Damian Asam and Egid Quirin Asam) were sculptors, workers in stucco, painters, and architects, who worked mostly together and in southern Germany. They are among the most important representatives of the German late ...

, and perfected his fresco painting in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the '' ...

. Günther frequently worked with some of the greatest artists of his time, including the architect

Johann Michael Fischer Johann Michael Fischer (18 February 1692 – 6 May 1766) was a German architect in the late Baroque period. Fischer was born in Burglengenfeld, Upper Palatinate. He is a major representative of south German Baroque architects. He studied in Boh ...

and the

plasterer A plasterer is a tradesman or tradesperson who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. The process of creating plasterwork, called plastering, has been ...

Johann Michael Feuchtmayer Johann Michael Feuchtmayer (the Younger) (sometimes spelled Johann Michael Feuchtmayr or Feichtmayr) (1709 – June 4, 1772) was a German stuccoworker and sculptor of the late Baroque period. He collaborated with the architects Johann Michael Fisc ...

and his brother

Franz Xaver Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 Decembe ...

. He died in Haid near

Wessobrunn Wessobrunn is a municipality in the district of Weilheim-Schongau in Bavaria in Germany. Paterzell airfield Paterzell airfield is located in Wessobrunn.Amorbach Amorbach () is a town in the Miltenberg district in the '' Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany, with some 4,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the small river Mud, in the northeastern part of the Odenwa ...

— Benedictine Abbey Church of St. Maria (high altar and ceiling frescoes) (1742–1747) *

Dießen am Ammersee Dießen am Ammersee (Southern Bavarian: ''Diaßn am Ammasä'') is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is located on the shores of the Ammersee. Geography Situated in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland the town stret ...

—Church of St. Georgen (parts of altar) (1750) * Friedberg—Pilgrimage Church of the Peace of the Lord (ceiling painting in the nave) (1747; 1764) * Garmisch-Partenkirchen—New Parish Church of St. Martin (ceiling frescoes) (1733) * Greisstätt-Altenhohenau—Monastery Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (choir fresco) *

Indersdorf ''Indersdorf'' is an oil on canvas painting by Franz Marc executed in 1904. It is in the collection of the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus in Munich. History The painting was made in 1904 at a time when Franz Marc stayed several times in Mark ...

—Augustinian Canonry (frescoes depicting life of

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

) (1755) *

Mittenwald Mittenwald is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria. Geography Mittenwald is located approximately 16 kilometres to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the River Isar ...

—Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (ceiling paintings and high altar; tower) (1740; 1746) *

Oberammergau Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The small town on the Ammer River is known for its woodcarvers and woodcarvings, for its NATO School, and around the world for its 380-year tradition ...

—Catholic Parish Church (frescoes) (1759; 1761) * Polling bei Weilheim—Lay brothers'

refectory A refectory (also frater, frater house, fratery) is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries. The name derives from the La ...

of the Augustinian Canonry Church (fresco of

Parnassus Mount Parnassus (; el, Παρνασσός, ''Parnassós'') is a mountain range of central Greece that is and historically has been especially valuable to the Greek nation and the earlier Greek city-states for many reasons. In peace, it offers ...

) (1775–1778) * Rott am Inn—Benedictine Abbey Church of St. Marinus and St. Anianus (dome frescoes and other frescoes) (1763) * Rottenbuch—Augustinian Church of Birth of the Virgin (frescoes of the life of

) (1750) * Schongau—Parish Church of Mariae Himmelfahrt (frescoes) (1753) *

Wessobrunn Wessobrunn is a municipality in the district of Weilheim-Schongau in Bavaria in Germany. Paterzell airfield Paterzell airfield is located in Wessobrunn.Wessobrunn Wessobrunn is a municipality in the district of Weilheim-Schongau in Bavaria in Germany. Paterzell airfield Paterzell airfield is located in Wessobrunn.Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the '' Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzbur ...

—Pilgrimage Church of St. Maria (Marienkapelle) (frescoes) (1752)

Tyrol

Fieberbrunn Fieberbrunn is a market town in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Kitzbühel Alps. Fieberbrunn is the most populous municipality in the Pillerseetal valley. According to a legend, the fountain near ...

—Chapel of Johann Nepomuk (frescoes) (1762) * Fiecht— Collegiate Church of St. Josef (frescoes) (1740–1744) *

Götzens Götzens is a community in the district of Innsbruck-Land in Tyrol and lies on a terrace of the highlands above the capital. The nearest neighbouring villages are Axams and Birgitz in the west, with the towns of Mutters and Natters Natters is a ...

—Parish Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul (dome frescoes of lives of

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chr ...

) (1775) * Grins—Parish Church of St. Nikolaus (stucco and ceiling paintings) (1779) * Innsbruck—Chapel of Schloss Mentelberg (stucco and ceiling paintings) * Innsbruck—Wilten Basilica (1754) (ceiling frescoes) (1770) *

Rattenberg Rattenberg ( bar, Råttnberg) is a City on the Inn River in the Austrian state of Tyrol near Rattenberg mountain and Innsbruck. With just 400 inhabitants and a surface area of 10 ha, it is the smallest city in the country. Geography The proximi ...

—Parish Church of St. Virgil (ceiling frescoes and fresco in the sacristy) (1736)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunther, Matthaus 1705 births 1788 deaths 18th-century German painters 18th-century German male artists German male painters Baroque painters People from Weilheim-Schongau Catholic painters