German artists 21st century

          Famous german painters 20th century.

          The Artist as He Imagined Himself Laughing, after 1770, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (German, 1736–1783).

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        1. Top 10 german artists
        2. Famous german painters 20th century
        3. Famous german painters 19th century
        4. German artists 19th century

          5. Tin alloy, 17 x 9 x 9 7/8 in. (43.1 x 23 x 25 cm). Private collection, Belgium

          Franz Xaver Messerschmidt enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1754 and soon received important commissions from the Habsburg empress Maria Theresa and her consort, Francis Stephen of Lorraine.

          Messerschmidt visited Rome in 1765, and upon his return, his earlier, more Baroque style shifted markedly toward a spare and sober Neoclassicism and a reductive approach to portraiture that foreshadowed the stark minimalism of the Character Heads.

          His circumstances changed dramatically around 1770 when he began to manifest signs of mental instability, leading to the loss of prestigious commissions and to conflicts with colleagues and friends.

          Messerschmidt suffered a further blow in 1774 when he was passed over for the post of professor of sculpture at the newly created Royal and Imp