Karl Josef Bernhard von Neher (16 January 1806, in

Biberach an der Riß Biberach an der Riß (, ; ), often referred to as simply Biberach (), is a town in southern Germany. It is the capital of Biberach (district), Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state (Lands of Germany, Land) of Baden-Wü ...

– 17 January 1886, in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

) was a German painter.

Life and work

Neher began to study painting in 1822 in Stuttgart, under

Johann Heinrich von Dannecker Johann Heinrich von Dannecker (October 16, 1758 in StuttgartDecember 8, 1841 in Stuttgart) was a German sculptor and director of an art school. Biography He was the third of five children of Georg Dannecker (1718–1786), a coachman of the nobl ...

und

Philipp Friedrich von Hetsch Philipp Friedrich von Hetsch (10 September 1758, Stuttgart - 31 December 1838, Stuttgart) was a German Classicism, Classical painter, known primarily for his portraits, although he also created historical and mythological scenes. Biography Hi ...

, but received his primary instruction at the

Academy of Fine Arts Munich The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, Germany. In the second half of the 19th centur ...

with

Peter von Cornelius Peter von Cornelius (23 September 1783, Düsseldorf – 6 March 1867, Berlin) was a German Painting, painter; one of the main representatives of the Nazarene movement. He was the uncle of the composer Peter Cornelius (1824–1874). Life Earl ...

. This was followed by four years in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, where he cultivated contacts with the

Nazarene movement The epithet Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th-century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive spirituality in art. The name Nazarene came from a term of derision used against them for their affectation of a biblical manner of c ...

, led by

Friedrich Overbeck Johann Friedrich Overbeck (3 July 1789 – 12 November 1869) was a German painter and a founder of the Nazarene art movement. Early life and education Overbeck was born in Lübeck in 1789. His family had been Protestant pastors for three genera ...

und

Philipp Veit Philipp Veit (13 February 179318 December 1877) was a German Romantic painter and one of the main exponents of the Nazarene movement. It is to Veit that the credit of having been the first to revive the nearly forgotten technique of fresc ...

. In 1832, he returned to Munich, where he painted the huge fresco that adorns the arch of the

Isartor The Isartor at the Isartorplatz in Munich is one of four main gates of the medieval city wall. It served as a fortification for the defence and is the most easterly of Munich's three remaining gothic town gates (''Isartor'', '' Sendlinger Tor ...

, depicting the triumphal entry of Emperor Louis after his victory at the

Battle of Mühldorf The Battle of Mühldorf (also known as the Battle of Ampfing) was fought near Mühldorf am Inn on September 28, 1322 between the Duchy of (Upper) Bavaria and the Archduchy of Austria. The Bavarians were led by German King Louis of Wittelsbach ...

. In 1836 he was summoned to

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

, to decorate two rooms of the Grand Ducal Palace with murals. He worked there, off and on, for eleven years. In 1841, he became Director of the Academy of Visual Arts in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

. He was later induced to return to Stuttgart, where he became a Professor at the Royal Art School. He was promoted to Director in 1854, but continued to produce many large oil paintings, mostly on religious subjects. Arguably, however, his best work involved a series of large glass paintings for stained-glass windows; six for the

Stiftskirche In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

, three for the chapel in the Old Castle and one each for the Leonhardskirche, the Greek Chapel in the New Castle and the Johanneskirche. In 1852, he was awarded the Knight's Cross, First Class of the

Order of the Crown (Württemberg) The Order of the Württemberg Crown (''Orden der Württembergischen Krone'') was an order of chivalry in Württemberg. History First established in 1702 as the (Hunting Order of St Hubert), in 1807 it was renamed the (Knightly Order of the G ...

, which conferred a title of nobility.Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Württemberg 1877, Seite 26 In 1878, The

Staatsgalerie Stuttgart The Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (, "State Gallery") is an art museum in Stuttgart, Germany, it opened in 1843. In 1984, the opening of the Neue Staatsgalerie (''New State Gallery'') designed by James Stirling transformed the once provincial galler ...

acquired the frames and designs for his windows. He resigned his position as Director in 1879.

References

Sources

* Ulrike Gauss, Kurt Löcher: ''Karl Joseph Bernhard von Neher 1806 - 1886'' (Katalog u. Einf.), Aquarelle und Zeichnungen, 1971, Biberacher Verlagsdruckerei, Exhibition of 29 August - 3 October 1971 * *

External links

*
Bernhard von Neher - Der Maler der Königinnen und Könige

Matrikeleintrag
der Akademie der Bildenden Künste München {{DEFAULTSORT:Neher, Bernhard von 1806 births 1886 deaths People from Biberach an der Riss German male painters German stained glass artists and manufacturers Religious artists 19th-century German painters 19th-century German male artists Academic staff of State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart