Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich
Encyclopedia
Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (October 30, 1712 – April 23, 1774) was a German painter and art administrator. In his own works, he was adept at imitating many earlier artists, but never developed a style of his own.
He was born at Weimar
, where he was brought up early to the profession of art by his father Johann Georg, then painter of miniatures to the court of the duke.
Having been sent to Dresden
to perfect himself under the care of Alexander Thiele, he had the good fortune to finish in two hours, at the age of eighteen, a picture which attracted the attention of the king of Saxony
. Augustus II was so pleased with Dietrich's readiness of hand that he gave him means to study abroad, and visit in succession the chief cities of Italy
and the Netherlands
. There he learned to copy and to imitate masters of the previous century with a versatility that was truly surprising. Winckelmann, to whom he had been recommended, did not hesitate to call him the Raphael
of landscape. Yet in this branch of his practice he merely imitated Salvator Rosa
and Eveidingen.
He was more successful in aping the style of Rembrandt, and numerous examples of this habit may he found in the galleries of St. Petersburg, Vienna
and Dresden. At Dresden, indeed, there are pictures acknowledged to be his, bearing the fictitious dates of 1636 and 1638, and the name of Rembrandt.
Among Dietrich's cleverest reproductions we may account that of Ostade
's manner in the Itinerant Singers at the National Gallery. His skill, in catching the character of the later masters of Holland is shown in candlelight scenes, such as the Squirrel and the Peep-Show at St. Petersburg, where we are easily reminded of Godfried Schalcken
. Dietrich tried every branch of art except portraits, painting Italian and Dutch views alternately with scripture scenes and still life.
In 1741 he was appointed court painter to Augustus III at Dresden, with an annual salary of 400 thaler
s, conditional on the production of four cabinet pictures a year. This condition, no doubt, accounts for the presence of fifty-two of the master's panels and canvases in one of the rooms at the Dresden museum. In 1746, he was appointed inspector of galleries.
Dietrich, though popular and probably the busiest artist of his time, never produced anything of his own; and his imitations are necessarily inferior to the originals which he affected to copy. His best work is certainly that which he gave to engraving
s. A collection of these at the British Museum
, produced on the general lines of earlier men, such as Ostade and Rembrandt, reveal both spirit and skill. Dietrich, after his return from the Peninsula, generally signed himself Dieterich, and with this signature most of his extant pictures are inscribed.
He died at Dresden, after he had successively filled the important appointments of director of the school of painting at the Meissen porcelain factory (appointed 1763) and professor of the Dresden academy of arts (appointed 1765).
Biography
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, where he was brought up early to the profession of art by his father Johann Georg, then painter of miniatures to the court of the duke.
Having been sent to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
to perfect himself under the care of Alexander Thiele, he had the good fortune to finish in two hours, at the age of eighteen, a picture which attracted the attention of the king of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. Augustus II was so pleased with Dietrich's readiness of hand that he gave him means to study abroad, and visit in succession the chief cities of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. There he learned to copy and to imitate masters of the previous century with a versatility that was truly surprising. Winckelmann, to whom he had been recommended, did not hesitate to call him the Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
of landscape. Yet in this branch of his practice he merely imitated Salvator Rosa
Salvator Rosa
Salvator Rosa was an Italian Baroque painter, poet and printmaker, active in Naples, Rome and Florence. As a painter, he is best known as an "unorthodox and extravagant" and a "perpetual rebel" proto-Romantic.-Early life:...
and Eveidingen.
He was more successful in aping the style of Rembrandt, and numerous examples of this habit may he found in the galleries of St. Petersburg, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Dresden. At Dresden, indeed, there are pictures acknowledged to be his, bearing the fictitious dates of 1636 and 1638, and the name of Rembrandt.
Among Dietrich's cleverest reproductions we may account that of Ostade
Ostade
Ostade is the surname of two Dutch brothers, both of whom were painters:*Adriaen van Ostade - genre painter*Isaac van Ostade - genre and landscape painter...
's manner in the Itinerant Singers at the National Gallery. His skill, in catching the character of the later masters of Holland is shown in candlelight scenes, such as the Squirrel and the Peep-Show at St. Petersburg, where we are easily reminded of Godfried Schalcken
Godfried Schalcken
Godfried Schalcken or Gottfried Schalken , was a Dutch genre and portrait painter. He was noted for his mastery in reproducing the effect of candlelight, and painted in the exquisite and highly polished manner of the Leiden fijnschilders.- Life and work :Godfried Schalcken was born in 1643 at...
. Dietrich tried every branch of art except portraits, painting Italian and Dutch views alternately with scripture scenes and still life.
In 1741 he was appointed court painter to Augustus III at Dresden, with an annual salary of 400 thaler
Thaler
The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
s, conditional on the production of four cabinet pictures a year. This condition, no doubt, accounts for the presence of fifty-two of the master's panels and canvases in one of the rooms at the Dresden museum. In 1746, he was appointed inspector of galleries.
Dietrich, though popular and probably the busiest artist of his time, never produced anything of his own; and his imitations are necessarily inferior to the originals which he affected to copy. His best work is certainly that which he gave to engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
s. A collection of these at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, produced on the general lines of earlier men, such as Ostade and Rembrandt, reveal both spirit and skill. Dietrich, after his return from the Peninsula, generally signed himself Dieterich, and with this signature most of his extant pictures are inscribed.
He died at Dresden, after he had successively filled the important appointments of director of the school of painting at the Meissen porcelain factory (appointed 1763) and professor of the Dresden academy of arts (appointed 1765).