Josef Moroder-Lusenberg
Encyclopedia
Josef Theodor Moroder, named the Lusenberger (28 May 1846 in Urtijëi
- 16 February 1939 in Urtijëi) was a painter and sculptor, the most prominent artist of the Moroder
family from the Grödenthal in South Tyrol now the Val Gardena in Italy
.
Academy, and in his 20s Josef started his own studio. Examples of his early activity as a sculptor are the statues of the Maria Addolorata and of the Virgin Mary in the Parish Church of Urtijëi.
His first wife, Annamaria Sanoner died after she gave birth to their fourth child in 1874. He married Felizitas Unterplatzer who gave birth to eleven other children. She also took care of his farm and was active as an antiquarian. Thirty years old, with the support of Felizitas, he visited the Academy of Munich (1876–1880) to learn the art of painting after he was impressed in Vienna
by the genre painting of Franz von Defregger
, “the dance in the mountains”. His teachers in Munich were Joseph Knabl
, Ludwig von Löfftz und Feodor Dietz
. 1880 to 1884 he was a pupil of Defregger; becoming close friends, they took many painting trips through the villages of the Trentino.
In Munich Josef Moroder was influenced by the genre and historical painting of his masters Defregger and the realistic-idealistic painting movement of Wilhelm Leibl
. From his numerous sketch books we can see how precisely he observed nature, landscape and specially the Tyrolean
and alpine lifestyle in Val Gardena. Many of his paintings, watercolours and sketches of and farmhouses, huts, people and portraits are testimony of a lost alpine world which once was the 19th century Tyrol.
The populist-romantic novelist Maria Veronika Rubatscher was well acquainted with the artist and wrote his biography in 1930, which became a popular novel.
One of his pupils was Ludwig Moroder-Lenert. Most of Josef's children, Johann Baptist, Alfons, Josef, Otto, Hermann, became valid sculptors. His son Alfons (1882–1960) settled in Milwaukee where he set up a business to sell altars for churches and statues of saints partially produced by him or imported from his native village, Urtijëi.
Urtijëi
Urtijëi is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol, in the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps...
- 16 February 1939 in Urtijëi) was a painter and sculptor, the most prominent artist of the Moroder
Moroder
The Moroder Family originating, from Ortisei, Val Gardena, Italy:* David Moroder, Italian luger, world champion, and sculptor* Giorgio Moroder , Italian musician* Karin Moroder , Italian cross-country skier, Olympic bronze medal winner...
family from the Grödenthal in South Tyrol now the Val Gardena in 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...
.
Life
Josef, the fourth of eight children, lost his father when he was 8 years old. He was apprenticed in a woodcarving studio under Franz Prinoth, an academic sculptor educated in the MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Academy, and in his 20s Josef started his own studio. Examples of his early activity as a sculptor are the statues of the Maria Addolorata and of the Virgin Mary in the Parish Church of Urtijëi.
His first wife, Annamaria Sanoner died after she gave birth to their fourth child in 1874. He married Felizitas Unterplatzer who gave birth to eleven other children. She also took care of his farm and was active as an antiquarian. Thirty years old, with the support of Felizitas, he visited the Academy of Munich (1876–1880) to learn the art of painting after he was impressed in 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...
by the genre painting of Franz von Defregger
Franz Defregger
Franz Defregger was an Austrian artist known mostly for his genre and history paintings....
, “the dance in the mountains”. His teachers in Munich were Joseph Knabl
Joseph Knabl
Joseph Knabl was an Austrian sculptor who specialized in religious statuary.-Biography:Knabl was born at Fliess, Tyrol,...
, Ludwig von Löfftz und Feodor Dietz
Feodor Dietz
Feodor Dietz was a German historical and battle painter.-Biography:He studied in Karlsruhe under Karl and Rudolf Kuntz, and while there was greatly influenced by Feodor Ivanovitch. He also studied under Philipp von Foltz at the Munich Academy, and aided the latter in the decoration of the royal...
. 1880 to 1884 he was a pupil of Defregger; becoming close friends, they took many painting trips through the villages of the Trentino.
In Munich Josef Moroder was influenced by the genre and historical painting of his masters Defregger and the realistic-idealistic painting movement of Wilhelm Leibl
Wilhelm Leibl
Wilhelm Maria Hubertus Leibl was a German realist painter of portraits and scenes of peasant life.Leibl was born in Cologne and in 1861 began his first training with Hermann Becker, a local painter. He entered the Munich Academy in 1864, subsequently studying with several artists including Carl...
. From his numerous sketch books we can see how precisely he observed nature, landscape and specially the Tyrolean
Tyrolean
Tyrolean may refer to:* Anything from Tyrol* Tyrolean Aerial Tramway* Tyrolean Airways* Tyrolean hat* Tyrolean traverse, mountaineering manoeuvre* Tyrolean Hound* A type of cement render, applied by a hand-operated machine...
and alpine lifestyle in Val Gardena. Many of his paintings, watercolours and sketches of and farmhouses, huts, people and portraits are testimony of a lost alpine world which once was the 19th century Tyrol.
The populist-romantic novelist Maria Veronika Rubatscher was well acquainted with the artist and wrote his biography in 1930, which became a popular novel.
One of his pupils was Ludwig Moroder-Lenert. Most of Josef's children, Johann Baptist, Alfons, Josef, Otto, Hermann, became valid sculptors. His son Alfons (1882–1960) settled in Milwaukee where he set up a business to sell altars for churches and statues of saints partially produced by him or imported from his native village, Urtijëi.
Exhibitions
- A major Exhibition was held in InnsbruckInnsbruck- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
in 1973. - Josef Moroder's watercolours were shown in Bolzano Italy in 1985.
- In 2009 two exhibitions in UrtijëiUrtijëiUrtijëi is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol, in the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps...
and Bolzano with respectively 120 and 100 works. - The Museum of Val GardenaMuseum GherdëinaThe Gherdëina Local Heritage Museum was opened in the Cësa di Ladins in Urtijëi in 1960. The building is the seat of the Union di Ladins de Gherdëina a cultural organisation for the keeping of the Ladin language and heritage in Val Gherdëina...
in Urtijëi exhibits more than 30 of his oil paintings and watercolours.
External links
- Josef Moroder on Ladin WP (incubator)
- Exhibitions on Josef Moroder 2009
- Other painting and images
- Drawings from Josef Moroder's sketchbooks