Johann Gottfried Schadow
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Johann Gottfried Schadow (20 May 1764 – 27 January 1850) was a German Prussian sculptor. His most iconic work is the chariot on top of the
Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...
in Berlin, executed in 1793 when he was still only 29.


Biography

Schadow was born in Berlin, where his father was a poor tailor. He trained as a sculptor under Antoine Tassaert, who was patronized by Frederick the Great. Taessert offered his daughter in marriage. but the pupil preferred to elope with a Jewish girl, Marianne Devidel in Rome and Taessert not only condoned the offense but furnished money for their stay in Italy. After he married Devidel in Rome he also won the sculptors prize from the Accademia di San Luca in 1786.. Having been influenced by the sculptor
Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the Baroque and the cl ...
during his stay in Rome he returned to Berlin in 1788 to succeed Tassaert as sculptor to the court and secretary to the Prussian Academy of Arts. Upon his return, his first work was the tomb of the son of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II, Alexander von der Mark. Over half a century he produced upwards of two hundred works, varied in style as in subjects. Among his ambitious efforts are Frederick the Great in
Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...
, Blücher in Rostock and Luther in Wittenberg. His portrait statues of Frederick the Great with the dogs and the Princess Monument Louise and her sister Frederica with the princesses Louise and Federica became very popular. The second one was copied many times illegally which lead to a temporary dispute between his gypsum modeler Beyer and the sculptor in September 1795. His busts, of which there are more than one hundred, include seventeen colossal heads in the Walhalla, Ratisbon; Goethe, Wieland, and Fichte were modelled from life. Of church monuments and memorial works thirty are enumerated; yet Schadow hardly ranks among Christian sculptors. He is claimed by classicists and idealists: the quadriga on the Brandenburger Tor and the allegorical frieze on the facade of the Royal Mint, both in Berlin, are judged among the happiest studies from the antique. Schadow, as director of the Berlin Academy, had great influence. He wrote on the proportions of the human figure, on national physiognomy, etc.; and many volumes by himself and others describe and illustrate his method and his work. His interest in physiognomy is documented by the drawing he made of
Harry Maitey The name Harry Maitey was given by Germans to a native Hawaiian (April 23, 1807Moore, Anneliese. Harry Maitey: From Polynesia to Prussia'. Hawaiian Journal of History 11 (1977): 125–161 – February 26, 1872), who was the first Hawaiian in Prussi ...
, the first Hawaiian in Prussia. Today, some of his sculptures and busts are displayed in the
Friedrichswerdersche Kirche Friedrichswerder Church (german: Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, french: Temple du Werder) was the first Neo-Gothic church built in Berlin, Germany. It was designed by an architect better known for his Neoclassical architecture, Karl Friedrich Schink ...
and the
Alte Nationalgalerie The Alte Nationalgalerie ( ''Old National Gallery'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin, Germany. The gallery was built from 1862 to 1876 by the order of King Frederick William IV of Prussi ...
in Berlin. Schadow developed a friendship with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe when at first Goethe's son visited Schadow in Weimar. Schadow created 12 bronze medals of Goethe. One such medal is in the property of the British Museum. In 2009, one such medal was bestowed by the Goethe Institute upon Dr. Daisaku Ikeda in recognition of his contributions to peace and Goethe's philosophy. He died in Berlin in 1850. His sons Rudolph and Friedrich Wilhelm were notable for sculpture and painting, respectively. He was the grandfather of admiral
Felix von Bendemann Felix von Bendemann (8 August 1848 – 31 October 1915) was an Admiral of the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). Early life Bendemann was born in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony. He was the son of the painter Eduard Julius Friedrich ...
of the German Imperial Navy.Judentum in Deutschland
Luebeck-kunterbunt.de
File:Brandenburg Gate Quadriga at Night.jpg, The centrepiece of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin Image:Friederike von Preußen by Johann Gottfried Schadow.jpg, '' Frederica of Prussia'' File:Melanchthon with Luther behind, by Schadow, Melanchthon House Museum, Wittenberg.jpg, Melanchthon with Luther behind, by Schadow, Melanchthon House Museum, Wittenberg File:Crown Princess Louise of Prussia & Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, after Johann Gottfried Schadow, Royal Porcelain Factory, Berlin, c. 1825-1850, porcelain - Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University - DSC01295.jpg, The '' Prinzessinengruppe'': Schadow's famous statue of Friederica (right), with her sister,
Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...
File:Schadow Harry von den Sandwich Inseln um 1825 SMB Kupferstichkab.jpg, Drawing of
Harry Maitey The name Harry Maitey was given by Germans to a native Hawaiian (April 23, 1807Moore, Anneliese. Harry Maitey: From Polynesia to Prussia'. Hawaiian Journal of History 11 (1977): 125–161 – February 26, 1872), who was the first Hawaiian in Prussi ...
, chalk and graphite, October 26, 1824


Family

He was uncle to the sculptor Emil Wolff.


References


Notes

*


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schadow, Johann Gottfried 1764 births 1850 deaths Artists from Berlin People from the Margraviate of Brandenburg 18th-century German sculptors 18th-century German male artists German male sculptors 19th-century German sculptors Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)