Friedrich Meier (painter)
Friedrich Meier (* 1785 in Rathenow ( Brandenburg ); † June 16, 1815 near Ligny in Belgium ) was a German painter and participant in the Wars of Liberation .
Friedrich Meier was the son of a respected Rathenow doctor, presumably of Jewish descent, who u. a. looked after the family of the writer Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué at Nennhausen Castle . He attended the Joachimsthal high school in Berlin , studied philosophy at the University of Halle for some time , but then went to Dresden in 1802 to train as a painter. It was here in 1804 that Meier met the brothers Heinrich and Ferdinand Olivier . He also came into contact with Friedrich August von Klinkowström . In 1807 Friedrich Meier joined the circle around Heinrich von Kleist . During this time he made the acquaintance of the Gerlach brothers , with whom he remained connected until his death. In 1810 he met Jean Paul on a trip through southern Germany in Bayreuth and portrayed him. In 1812 Meier went to Vienna, where he became acquainted with Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld through Ferdinand Olivier .
In March 1813, Meier joined the Lützow Freikorps in Breslau with Friedrich Olivier and Theodor Körner .
In 1814 Meier went back to Vienna and hoped to receive orders to portray the diplomats involved in the congress . When these did not materialize, he gave up painting and became a soldier again.
Friedrich Meier fell under the French guards in the Battle of Ligny , Napoleon's last victory before Waterloo , and fell in battle. His body could not be recovered due to the withdrawal of the Prussians.
Jean Paul later wrote to a sister-in-law of Friedrich Meier:
“ With the memories of my dear Meier, you gave me a painful gift. After the war I never look at his picture of me - the only accurate one, although all copperplate engravings are calumnies or transformations of my face - and it is actually less mine than his after the war. A noble heart, a real talent now has the poor earth less and the rich sky more. But brave death was worthy of it. I will never forget the fiery youth. "
Part of Friedrich Meier's estate is now in the Gerlach archive at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Herrmann Zschoche : Jean Pauls portraitist in Brandenburger Blätter dated December 24, 2012, p. 2 (supplement of the Märkische Oderzeitung )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Meier, Friedrich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German painter and participant in the wars of liberation |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1785 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rathenow |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 16, 1815 |
| Place of death | Ligny (Belgium) |