Heinrich Mucke
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Karl Anton Mücke (April 9, 1806-January 16, 1891) was a prominent Realist
painter known for his liturgical and genre
paintings as well as fresco
es, which still adorn some of Germany
's ancient castle
s and cathedral
s. His paintings are hung today in Germany's leading museums, including the National Gallery
Berlin, Breslau Museum and the Brunn
Museum. His son, Karl Mücke, was also a recognized genre painter. Heinrich Mücke was a professor at the Düsseldorf
Academy and received the Portuguese Medal for Art and Sciences as well as the Breslau Medal.
Academy. Mücke worked under the well established painter Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow
. Travel was an important element of life to Mücke, Italy
being his first extended foreign sojourn over the winter of 1834-35. Later, in the year 1950 he visited England
, while he vacationed in Switzerland
many times. From earliest predilections, he chose historical religious subjects, especially those containing dramatic or exalted themes.
carried by Angels to Mount Sinai
(1836); Saint Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius (1838); Saint Elizabeth
taking Farewell of her Husband (1841}; Saint Elizabeth
Giving Alms
(1841), the last of which pieces is hung in the National Gallery
Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie. Further liturgical oils ot the late 1840s,early 1850s and undated works are: Coronation
of the Virgin (1847}; Saint Adelbert (1851); Cycle of Life of Saint Meinrad; Good Shepherd
; and Christ
Crucified.
Heinrich Mücke also attended to other subject matter, especially while in his early forties. He enjoyed portraying famous historic people in foreign lands, such as Dante
in Verona
(1846) and Cleopatra Dying (1873). The well known Male Portrait (1861) hangs in the Düsseldorf Museum. Finally to note his genre work, one can turn to his painting Mother and Child (ca. 1850).
: Scenes from life of Barbarossa (1829-1938). In general Mücke's frescoes comprised early compositions, although these works were clearly interleaved in time with his litergical oil paintings.
painting and is recognized for such works as Little Brother, Sunday Afternoon, Mother's Joy, Paternal Joys and Mending Nets on the Coast of Holland. Karl died on May 27, 1923.
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
painter known for his liturgical and genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
paintings as well as fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es, which still adorn some of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's ancient castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s and cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s. His paintings are hung today in Germany's leading museums, including the National Gallery
Alte Nationalgalerie
The Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin is a gallery showing a collection of Classical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork, all of which belong to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. The museum is situated on Museum Island, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site.- Founding...
Berlin, Breslau Museum and the Brunn
Brunn
Brunn or Brünn may refer to:Places* Brünn, the German form of the Czech city Brno* Brunn, Upper Palatinate, a town in Bavaria, Germany* Brunn, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a municipality in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...
Museum. His son, Karl Mücke, was also a recognized genre painter. Heinrich Mücke was a professor at the Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
Academy and received the Portuguese Medal for Art and Sciences as well as the Breslau Medal.
Early life and travels
Heinrich Mücke was born in Breslau, Poland in the spring of 1806. He received formal training in art at both the Berlin Academy and the DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
Academy. Mücke worked under the well established painter Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow
Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow
Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow was a German Romantic painter.-Biography:He was born in Berlin and was the second son of the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow....
. Travel was an important element of life to Mücke, 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...
being his first extended foreign sojourn over the winter of 1834-35. Later, in the year 1950 he visited England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, while he vacationed in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
many times. From earliest predilections, he chose historical religious subjects, especially those containing dramatic or exalted themes.
Liturgical Paintings
Biblical topics were the first for which Mücke was well known. In the core of his early painting career he completed such works as: Saint CatherineCatherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
carried by Angels to Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
(1836); Saint Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius (1838); Saint Elizabeth
Saint Elizabeth
Saint Elizabeth may refer to:* Saint Elizabeth , the mother of John the Baptist* Saint Elisabeth of Hungary * Saint Elizabeth of Portugal * Saint Elizabeth of Reute...
taking Farewell of her Husband (1841}; Saint Elizabeth
Saint Elizabeth
Saint Elizabeth may refer to:* Saint Elizabeth , the mother of John the Baptist* Saint Elisabeth of Hungary * Saint Elizabeth of Portugal * Saint Elizabeth of Reute...
Giving Alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
(1841), the last of which pieces is hung in the National Gallery
Alte Nationalgalerie
The Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin is a gallery showing a collection of Classical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork, all of which belong to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. The museum is situated on Museum Island, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site.- Founding...
Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie. Further liturgical oils ot the late 1840s,early 1850s and undated works are: Coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of the Virgin (1847}; Saint Adelbert (1851); Cycle of Life of Saint Meinrad; Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd may refer to:In Christianity:* The Good Shepherd , pericope found in John 10:1-21, and a popular image in which the Good Shepherd represents Jesus...
; and Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
Crucified.
Paintings of noble life, genre scenes and portraiture
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
in Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
(1846) and Cleopatra Dying (1873). The well known Male Portrait (1861) hangs in the Düsseldorf Museum. Finally to note his genre work, one can turn to his painting Mother and Child (ca. 1850).
The frescoes
Not content with liturgical art on canvas, Mücke relished the creation of expansive frescoes in some of the superb old buildings in Germany. The earliest well known example is a series of many large images produced over a nine year period at Castle Heltorf near DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
: Scenes from life of Barbarossa (1829-1938). In general Mücke's frescoes comprised early compositions, although these works were clearly interleaved in time with his litergical oil paintings.
Karl Mücke, Heinrich's son
Karl Mücke was born in 1847 and surely studied under his father. Karl became a distinguished painter in his own right, although not as renowned as his father. He specialized in genreGenre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
painting and is recognized for such works as Little Brother, Sunday Afternoon, Mother's Joy, Paternal Joys and Mending Nets on the Coast of Holland. Karl died on May 27, 1923.
Permanent collections
- Breslau Museum
- BrunnBrunnBrunn or Brünn may refer to:Places* Brünn, the German form of the Czech city Brno* Brunn, Upper Palatinate, a town in Bavaria, Germany* Brunn, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a municipality in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...
Museum - ChemnitzChemnitzChemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
Museum - DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
Museum - National GalleryAlte NationalgalerieThe Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin is a gallery showing a collection of Classical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork, all of which belong to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. The museum is situated on Museum Island, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site.- Founding...
Berlin