Dietrich Meuss

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Dietrich Meuss (* 1565/1570 in Nijmegen , County of Geldern , † 1626 in Feldkirch ) was a Flemish mannerist painter .

Life

Dietrich Meuss - Title page Codex 1335

Dietrich Meuss began his work in the St. Gallen Abbey area in 1601 with the high altar sheet from St. Gallen-Bruggen. Two different names have been handed down to Dietrich Meuss. The family name is probably derived from the name of the apostle Bartholomäus. Meuss was already an independent master craftsman around 1601 and settled in Feldkirch during this time. In 1605, at the same time as the painter Hans Georg Clessin, he was accepted as a master in the Feldkirch hammer guild. Sponsored by Abbot Bernhard Müller, he received regular commissions from the Prince Abbey of St. Gallen until 1625 . Meuss, who brought Dutch mannerism to the upper Lake Constance region, headed a large and efficient workshop in Feldkirch. Dietrich Meuss was a well trained and versatile painter and the works that are documented by sources and some of which are still preserved today testify to his skills. He not only created panel paintings , but was also active as a barrel painter , “Tuechlimaler”, fresco and, last but not least, a good illuminator . It is not known which journeyman confessed to him, but five apprentices are attested and three of them later work as independent master painters. It is fairly certain that his son Hans Wilhelm Meuss worked for him around 1620; he probably also did an apprenticeship with his father. The Konstanz painter Seltenhorn, who married a daughter of Wilhelm Meuss in 1619, also worked for (or for) Dietrich Meuss from this time on. As early as April 1625, Dietrich Meussen's health was no longer the best. The contract for the two altars in the St. Gallen Minster expressly states: “so that he would prevent M. (= Master Dietrich Meuss) from doing this work by God's violence, his son Hans Wilhelm Meuss and his master should do something like this instead of doing. ”In 1626 Dietrich Meuss died in Feldkirch, leaving behind his widow and son Hans Wilhelm Meuss.

Workshop and apprentices

Signature - Meuss - Feldkirch

Dietrich Meuss, like most painters of his time and also according to the wishes of his clients, worked according to graphic templates. The general mannerist style features of Dietrich Meussen's work are the room layout, the isolation of the individual figures and the often metallic highlights of the robes. Typical for Dietrich Meuss and his workshop are the use of similar (identical!) Models for frequently recurring saints (Maria, Johannes, etc.) and the large-scale figures outlined more graphically than painterly. The mostly spider-like hands with long, slender fingers and round balls of clouds are also typical of the workshop.

His son Hans Wilhelm Meuss (worked as a master from 1621–1634) worked in the workshop. Another painter who temporarily worked in Dietrich Meussen's workshop could have been Hans Jerg Wilhalm (verified 1609–1641), who after Meussen's death then worked for Erasmus Kern in 1641 as a journeyman with the Feldkirch painter Hans Caspar Hohensin. His son-in-law Seltenhorn also probably made a living in Dietrich Meuss's workshop before 1619.

As already mentioned, Dietrich Meuss trained apprentices throughout his career:

  • In 1607 Jacob Mayer from the St. Gallen monastery area began his apprenticeship near Meuss and should have finished it around 1611. In 1616 Jakob Mayer delivered a picture to the abbot Bernhard Müller of St. Gallen for the first time as a freelance painter in Rorschach and then appeared regularly in the prince abbot's book of editions until 1624 and 1641 he was employed with other painters on the high altar of St. Gallen cathedral.
  • In 1612 Dietrich Meuss hired Heinrich Purscher from Bludenz as an apprentice.
  • Jorg Heüssler von Schlins began his apprenticeship with him in 1615 .
  • In 1617 Adam Gerstler von Feldkirch was hired as an apprentice to Meuss. He later worked as a freelance painter in Feldkirch, but did not become a master of the big hammer guild until 1648.
  • In 1621 Meuss took Erhard Ehin (Öhin) from Hohenems on as an apprentice. Around 1630 Ehin became a master in the big hammer guild and in 1635 took a Dietrich Meuss, probably the grandson of the older Dietrich Meuss, as an apprentice.

Succession

Meuss Dietrich - Altar sheet - Wil

In 1621, while his father was still alive, Hans Wilhelm Meuss was accepted as a new master in the big hammer guild. He was probably around 25 years old at the time. We do not know with whom he learned his trade and where his years of travel as a journeyman led to. It is possible that he learned his trade from his father and only then went hiking for a short time. Probably shortly after the master's justice, Hans Wilhelm Meuss married the Feldkirch citizen daughter Elisabeth Weltin, who died before 1633, probably in 1630, because in 1633 Meuss was born to Maria Salome Kessler.

What is certain is that Hans Wilhelm Meuss continued his father's workshop. To date, however, no work by Hans Wilhelm Meuss can be proven. This is made more difficult by the workshop style that prevailed at Dietrich Meuss from 1620 onwards. However, it seems that he continued the workshop tradition and was able to benefit from the reputation of his famous father. In 1633/34 three new altars were erected in the St. Leonhard Chapel in Bad Ragaz. The sources show that the altar paintings were hired out to a Feldkirch painter. It is very likely that Hans Wilhelm Meuss was allowed to carry out this work.

At Hans Wilhelm Meuss, apprentices can be found.

  • In 1621 Caspar Willi von Chur was registered as an apprentice.
  • In 1628 Franziskus Maria Pompiati of St. Gallen began his apprenticeship with him .

Both come from cities in which Dietrich Meuss was already active and well known. In 1634 Hans Wilhelm Meuss appears for the last time in the registers of the big hammer guild. He almost certainly succumbed to the plague of 1634/35. In the following year, his son (?) Dietrich Meuss (born around 1621/22) lets Dietrich Meuss (the older one), the master painter Erhard Ehin, apprentice. Neither master nor apprentice survived the plague of December 1635, so that the workshop tradition of the painter Meuss, which had begun so promisingly, came to an abrupt end. The orphaned workshop was taken over by the Constance painter Hans Caspar Hohensin .

Works

Fresco Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge (1611) in the St. Johann monastery in Alt St. Johann
Dietrich Meuss - Pietà in Chur
Meuss Dietrich - Codex 1768

literature

  • Angelo Steccanella: Feldkirch's painter from the 17th century to the beginning of the 19th century . In: Manfred A. Getzner (Ed.): Collecting - Preserving - Researching - Mediating. 100 years of Heimatpflege- und Museumsverein Feldkirch 1912 - 2012 (= Rheticus Society [Hrsg.]: Series of publications . No. 56 ). Feldkirch 2012, ISBN 978-3-902601-32-2 ( online [PDF; 1.4 MB ; accessed on October 24, 2018]).

Web links

Commons : Dietrich Meuss  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

References and comments

  1. ↑ Thieme-Becker, Volume 24, p. 459.
  2. ↑ Meussen at Thieme-Becker, Meuss at Fischer and Poeschel
  3. ↑ Stadtarchiv Feldkirch (StAF), Grosshammerzunft (GHZ) Reg. 11, p. 103
  4. ↑ STAF: Hds 99, 1641 Caspar Hossing Comforter his journeyman Hans Wilhelm is streamlined 3 Pf
  5. ↑ Probably from Rorschach
  6. ↑ StiASG, edition book D879, fol. 136v
  7. ↑ StAF: GHZRB 11, account book of the big hammer guild, brotherhood of smiths 1556 - 1627
  8. ↑ StAF: GHZBB, Brotherhood Book of the Grosshammerzunft 1500 - 1936, fol. 13
  9. ↑ StA Pfäfers, Volume 101, correspondence between Abbot Jodok Höslin (r. 1626 - 1637) and Father Gabriel Bucelin
  10. ↑ Since the death records of the Feldkirch parish are missing, the dates of death of Hans Wilhelm Meuss, Dietrich Meuss the younger and Erhard Ehin cannot be precisely determined. The account books of the big hammer guild for the years 1628 - 1642 are also missing.
  11. ↑ Stiftsarchiv St.Gallen (StiASG) Book F3 D12 .: Item Anno 1601 the Althar Thäfflen Maister Diettrich Meüss von Veldkirch is hired (so to Bruggen in der Kirchen uffgesteltt). First around 43 fl. After having graced your grace granted by the d hinder thail 3 fl and the companion for his drinks 1 fl 2 kr. Do everything XXXXVII fl II kr
  12. ↑ StiASG, D.879 (f. 301 r + v) Item March 9, M. Dietrich the painter because of the altar panels to Wildthauss 30 fl. '
  13. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f. 134v): Item to M. Dietrichen painters give April 28, June 21, August 26, July 27, thuett everything in one sum (because of the gwelbs in the choir to paint and seyten grab) 30 fl.
  14. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (F. 302r). On February 20, he received 40 fl. Item eodé M. Dietrich killed because of the altar tables at Deger's
  15. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f. 135v): … because of both fastentüecher in dz münster and for the front altar fl. 160
  16. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f. 132v): Item den 13. 10bris M. Dietrich Maler imposes 6 fl 3 resp. Because of the himels zu Rorschach
  17. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f. 135v): On May 24th, Dietrich Meuss is sent to St.Johan because of St.Bernhardt's picture, if it is painted there in the churches . For this he receives 14 fl.
  18. ↑ Henggeler, p. 256: Through the Belgian Theodorich Meuris, he (P. Erasmus v. Altmannshausen) left the life of the monastery patrons St. John the Baptist and St. Johann Ev in the dining room. to paint.
  19. ↑ Steccanella, church inventory Neu St.Johann, inv. G / 057
  20. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (135v): On May 20, Dietrich Meuss receives 8 florins to be gilded for the large roses in the hole for the chorus . Together with painter Hans Hohensin von Konstanz. See Pöschel, KDM SG III, p. 53
  21. ↑ StiASG D. 879. (f. 135v): On August 30th, Dietrich Meuss received 528 fl. Because of the decki in the church to paint, also the Oelberg at the top of the arch, item the church window and seul and because of the 2 angels next to the organ
  22. ↑ StiASG D. 879. (f. 133r): Item the 30th Aug. M. Dietrich painters give 7 fl. Because of the Landtfendlin to paint.
  23. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f. 303v): Item the 30. May A. 1607 the M. Dietrich painter give because of the altar panels at St. Cathrine's monastery because 15 fl 7 or 2 kr
  24. ↑ StiASG D. 879. (f 135v): Dietrich Meuss receives 10 florins on February 26th: umb demolition of the pictures and cartridges so that they can come to our new breviarium söllen
  25. ↑ Steccanella, Art Inventory Cathedral and Chur Castle, Inv.-No. GE-I 524
  26. ↑ Steccanella, church inventory, Chur Cathedral, inv. GE-II 114
  27. ↑ Steccanella, Art Inventory Cathedral and Chur Castle, No.GE-I 507
  28. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f 133v): Item de 26. May the painter M. Dietrichen because of their 3 cloths so he painted 86 fl
  29. ↑ StiASG, book BX.64, p. 301: June 9th to M. Dietrich Möss uffs verding also give 150 fl. 27 August in widerumb give uffs verding 30 fl . The mural “Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge / Fall” was rediscovered on the occasion of the last restoration (2005/06).
  30. ↑ StiASG. D. 879. (f 136v): Dietrich Meuss receives 6 florins. On August 18th, because of several gilded letters and images in the newly written gradual
  31. ↑ Steccanella, church inventory cathedral parish Feldkirch, inv. 6800 / K / 001, 6800 / K / 006, 6800 / G / 007
  32. ↑ Steccanella, church inventory cathedral parish Feldkirch, inv. 6800 / G / 007
  33. ↑ Dehio Vorarlberg 1983 , p. 183.
  34. ↑ StiASG D. 879 (f. 308v): Item M. Dietrichen Malern because of the altar panels in the new Schwöster monastery near Rorschach imposed on 6 Apr 120 fl
  35. ^ Fischer, KDM AI (p. 284)
  36. ↑ KDM AI (p. 267)
  37. ↑ StiASG, book 314, p. 732 f .; Contract with D. Meuss about altars in the Otmarskirche
  38. ↑ StiASG, B 312, p. 567: Verding from April 1624 on the two altars. / StiASG certificates book BX. 64: Payments from April 24th, July 15th and 22nd and September 6th, a total of 395 florins, that is 15 florins more than agreed in the contract. Meuss created the altars with the help of his son Hans Wilhelm and son-in-law Seltenhorn.
  39. ↑ StiASG, Volume 312, p. 587: October 7th, 1625 the Orglen Werckh Corpus Bilder und Flügell to grasp and grind was hired. M. Dietrich Meuss should bring large wings in height and width with him like the sights, so that they grind as smoothly and artificially as possible. Namely on the right pages with Ohlfarben the birth of Christ, and Historia bim Regnz. On the outer side with lin colors the Eglish greetings (?). All of this in its cost 200 . Meuss worked on the organ with Hans Hohensin von Konstanz.
personal data
SURNAME Meuss, Dietrich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Meussen, Dietrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Flemish painter
DATE OF BIRTH 1565
PLACE OF BIRTH Nijmegen
DATE OF DEATH 1626
Place of death Feldkirch