Johann Wilhelm Baur
Encyclopedia
Johann Wilhelm Baur, Joan Guiliam Bouwer, or Bauer (Strasbourg
, 31 May 1607 - Vienna
, January 1640) was a German
engraver, etcher and miniature
painter. He is famous for a series of illustrations of Ovid
's Metamorphoses.
According to Houbraken, he learned to draw and paint from the miniaturist Friedrich Brentel
in Strasbourg, before embarking on a Grand Tour
to Rome
, where he painted for Brassiano , a known patron of the arts. He specialized in watercolors of architectural follies in perspective, and for this reason was often employed to make pictures of gardens. He had the habit of talking when he was concentrating, and was known to have conversations with inanimate objects. In 1634 he broke off a trip to Naples
to return to a woman in Rome. According to Cornelis de Bie
, Baur lived with Carolus Creten while he was in Rome. Creten (Skreta) was a member of the Bentvueghels
with the nickname Slach-sweerd. The RKD has assigned this nickname Slagzwaard (longsword
) to Baur himself, who was probably also a member of the Bentvueghels, but whose nickname was not recorded by De Bie.
Many of his drawings of Ovid's stories, the passion of Christ in 24 plates, and scenes of daily life in Rome (with costumes of various nationalities) were engraved by Melchior Kusel of Augsburg
. He died in Vienna of a sudden illness while on a commission by Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, 31 May 1607 - 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...
, January 1640) was a German
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...
engraver, etcher and miniature
Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment...
painter. He is famous for a series of illustrations of Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses.
Biography
Friedrich Brentel
Friedrich Brentel, a German printmaker in engraving and etching, and miniature painter, was born at Laugingen in 1580, and became a citizen of Strasbourg in 1601. His principal work is a set of plates for 'The Funeral of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine,' and the Royal entry of his son as the new...
in Strasbourg, before embarking on a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he painted for Brassiano , a known patron of the arts. He specialized in watercolors of architectural follies in perspective, and for this reason was often employed to make pictures of gardens. He had the habit of talking when he was concentrating, and was known to have conversations with inanimate objects. In 1634 he broke off a trip to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
to return to a woman in Rome. According to Cornelis de Bie
Cornelis de Bie
Cornelis de Bie was a Brabant rederijker, poet, jurist and minor politician from Lier.He is the author of about 64 works, mostly comedies...
, Baur lived with Carolus Creten while he was in Rome. Creten (Skreta) was a member of the Bentvueghels
Bentvueghels
The Bentvueghels were a society of mostly Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome from about 1620 to 1720. They are also known as the Schildersbent .-Activities:...
with the nickname Slach-sweerd. The RKD has assigned this nickname Slagzwaard (longsword
Longsword
The longsword is a type of European sword designed for two-handed use, current during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 .Longswords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 cm length The longsword (of which stems the variation called the bastard...
) to Baur himself, who was probably also a member of the Bentvueghels, but whose nickname was not recorded by De Bie.
Many of his drawings of Ovid's stories, the passion of Christ in 24 plates, and scenes of daily life in Rome (with costumes of various nationalities) were engraved by Melchior Kusel of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
. He died in Vienna of a sudden illness while on a commission by Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
.