Franz Edward Rohrbeck (1852–1919), often referred to as Franz E. Rohrbeck, was an American artist, of

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, known for his murals in courthouses and other government buildings. He was born in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

. He graduated from the Berlin Art Academy and emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1885. . He became a

muralist A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

at some point, having "worked as a panoramic painter in San Francisco" and having done some painting for the 1893

World Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The c ...

. He painted murals in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan. He is probably most known for his large mural, "The Spirit and Strength of Wisconsin," at the

Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor of Wisconsin, Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the ...

. Works include: *Two by mural paintings in the second floor courtroom at Green County Courthouse *Six murals at Martin County Courthouse (Fairmont, Minnesota) (designed by Charles E. Bell, built 1906–07) with *Four murals on four spandrels under the dome of Grant County Courthouse (Lancaster, Wisconsin) (1905) *Mural "The Spirit and Strength of Wisconsin" in the

, in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

*Mural(s) at Brown County Courthouse (designed by Charles E. Bell) in

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

*Mural(s) at Manitowoc County Courthouse (designed by German-born Christ H. Tegen, built in 1906) in

Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc ( ) is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2020 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,626. History Purporte ...

In at least two cases, it was architect Charles E. Bell who designed the county courthouse. Bell was a prolific architect of courthouses.

References

1852 births 1919 deaths Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States German artists Artists from Milwaukee Painters from Wisconsin American muralists Painters from Berlin 19th-century American painters 19th-century American male artists American male painters 20th-century American painters 20th-century American male artists {{DEFAULTSORT:Rohrbeck, Franz E.