Stieler and Beethoven Painting by Paul Meijering

About "Stieler and Beethoven Painting"

by Paul Meijering

About the artwork

Realistic acrylic painting of the German painter Joseph Karl Stieler showing his portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven, painted by the Dutch fine artist Paul Meijering - the original painting is 120 x 90 cm and part of a permanent collection.

Joseph Karl Stieler (Mainz, 1 November 1781 - Munich, 9 April 1858) a German painter, was trained in painting at an early age by his father August Friedrich Stieler. After his father's early death, he went to work as a miniature painter to contribute to the family's livelihood. Through that work, he got to know Freiherr Karl Theodor von Dalberg, who would support him in his further career. In 1802, he went to Vienna to study art, travelled through Russia shortly afterwards and in 1807 went to Paris for a year and a half, where he studied with François Gérard, a pupil of Jacques-Louis David. In late 1808, he established himself as an independent portrait painter in Frankfurt am Main. In 1810, he travelled to Italy; in 1816, he portrayed Emperor Francis I in Vienna, among other places. In 1820, Stieler became court painter to the king of Bavaria, Maximilian I Joseph, and would remain so, from 1825 under Louis I of Bavaria, until 1855.

Stieler became best known for his portraits, where he always focused full attention on the model, without decorative additions. He captured famous contemporaries on the silver screen, including Goethe, Beethoven, Wagner, Schelling, Amalia of Oldenburg, Ludwig Tieck, and Von Humboldt. He also became famous for his 34 portraits of 'beautiful' Bavarian women, collected in the so-called Schönheitengalerie of Nymphenburg Palace.

After his retirement as court painter, Stieler lived for a few more years in a summer house in Tegernsee. He died in Munich in 1858 as a result of pneumonia.