Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz

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Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz (1822) sketched by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein
Grave in the Frankfurt main cemetery

Nikolaus Karl Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz (born November 23, 1797 in Grobin / Kurland , † December 12, 1869 in Frankfurt am Main ) was a German sculptor and art historian.

Life

Eduard von der Launitz was born on November 23, 1797, the youngest of nine children of the Lutheran provost von Grobin. After the death of his parents in 1809 he was sent to the Philanthropin Educational Institution in Vechelde in the Duchy of Braunschweig . In 1815 he began to study law at the Georg-August University , as his guardian had chosen him for a diplomatic career. He became a member of the Curonia Goettingensis . But Launitz was far more interested in art and art history. Therefore he left the university in 1816 and moved to Rome , where he lived in the local artists' colony. He soon became a pupil of Bertel Thorvaldsen . His first independent work (1820) was a grave relief for his brother Georg, who died near Leipzig . In 1822 he went to Russia to erect several monuments there on behalf of Tsar Alexander. The tsar's death shattered the plans and he returned to Rome. In 1823 he married Francesca Ferreri in Rome, moved to Via Cappuccini and built a terracotta factory in which he produced architectural ornaments. In 1829 he suffered a series of strokes of fate, including the death of a son and his wife within a few hours. He decided to return home with his three small children, but allowed friends in Munich to persuade him to stay in Germany for the time being. He settled in Frankfurt am Main , where he lived and worked most of the time until his death. In addition to his artistic work, he mainly worked as a teacher, both at the Städel Art Institute in Frankfurt and at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf . His art history lectures, which he held for over 30 years, attracted a wide audience. He published a number of essays on art history.

In 1839 he married Therese von Soiron from Mannheim ; the couple had a daughter, Luise (1841–1869), who married the archaeologist Adolf Michaelis , with whom von der Launitz was on friendly terms. After the death of his second wife in 1861, he only took on a few jobs, but continued his successful teaching. Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz is buried in the main cemetery (Frankfurt am Main) , where numerous of his works can be found, including the Reichenbach-Lessonitz mausoleum.

Works

Gutenberg monument

literature

Web links

Commons : Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kösener corps lists 1798-1904, 65/12 (Curonia V.).
  2. ^ Facade figures stock exchange: Landhandel, Australien. In: Art in Public Space Frankfurt. Retrieved June 4, 2016 .
personal data
SURNAME Schmidt von der Launitz, Eduard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schmidt von der Launitz, Nikolaus Karl Eduard; Launitz, Nikolaus Karl Eduard Schmidt from the
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH November 23, 1797
PLACE OF BIRTH Grobin , Courland
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 1869
Place of death Frankfurt am Main