Matthäus Günther (also Mathäus Günther) (7 September 1705 – 30 September 1788) was an important German

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

and

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

and

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

era. Günther, who was born in Peissenberg (at that time: Tritschengreith), helped develop the rococo style of painting in

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

and

Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...

, working on over 40 churches. His known work includes about 70

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es and 25 panels. In particular, he was known for his lifelike imagery and lively coloring. Günther studied in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

from 1723 to 1728 with Cosmas Damian Asam, the older of the two Asam brothers, and perfected his fresco painting in

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

. Günther frequently worked with some of the greatest artists of his time, including the architect Johann Michael Fischer and the plasterer Johann Michael Feuchtmayer and his brother Franz Xaver. He died in Haid near Wessobrunn.

Major works

Bavaria

* Amorbach— Benedictine Abbey Church of St. Maria (high altar and ceiling frescoes) (1742–1747) *

Dießen am Ammersee Dießen am Ammersee (Southern Bavarian: ''Diaßn am Ammasä'') is a municipality in the district of Landsberg (district), Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is located on the shores of the Ammersee. Geography Situated in the Bavarian Alpine Fo ...

—Church of St. Georgen (parts of altar) (1750) * Friedberg—Pilgrimage Church of the Peace of the Lord (ceiling painting in the nave) (1747; 1764) * Fürstenzell— Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin (ceiling frescoes) *

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; ) is an Northern Limestone Alps, Alpine mountain resort, ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district), district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ...

—New Parish Church of St. Martin (ceiling frescoes) (1733) * Greisstätt-Altenhohenau—Monastery Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (choir fresco) * Indersdorf—Augustinian Canonry (frescoes depicting life of St. Augustine) (1755) * Mittenwald—Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (ceiling paintings and high altar; tower) (1740; 1746) *

Oberammergau Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The small town on the Ammer River is known for its woodcarvers and woodcarvings, for its NATO School, and around the world for its 380-year tradition of ...

—Catholic Parish Church (frescoes) (1759; 1761) * Polling bei Weilheim—Lay brothers'

refectory A refectory (also frater, frater house, fratery) is a dining room, especially in monastery, monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminary, seminaries. The name ...

of the Augustinian Canonry Church (fresco of Parnassus) (1775–1778) * Rott am Inn—Benedictine Abbey Church of St. Marinus and St. Anianus (dome frescoes and other frescoes) (1763) * Rottenbuch—Augustinian Church of Birth of the Virgin (frescoes of the life of St. Augustine) (1750) * Schongau—Parish Church of Mariae Himmelfahrt (frescoes) (1753) * Wessobrunn—Kreuzberg Chapel (ceiling frescoes) (1771–1772) * Wessobrunn—Pilgrimage Church of St. Leonhard im Forst (ceiling frescoes) (1761) *

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

—Pilgrimage Church of St. Maria (Marienkapelle) (frescoes) (1752)

Tyrol

* Fieberbrunn—Chapel of Johann Nepomuk (frescoes) (1762) * Fiecht— Collegiate Church of St. Josef (frescoes) (1740–1744) * Götzens—Parish Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul (dome frescoes of lives of

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

) (1775) * Grins—Parish Church of St. Nikolaus (stucco and ceiling paintings) (1779) *

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

—Chapel of Schloss Mentelberg (stucco and ceiling paintings) *

—Wilten Basilica (1754) (ceiling frescoes) (1770) *

Rattenberg Rattenberg () is a City on the Inn River in the Austrian state of Tyrol near Rattenberg mountain and Innsbruck. With just 400 inhabitants and a surface area of 10 ha, it is the smallest city in the country. Geography The proximity of a mountain ...

—Parish Church of St. Virgil (ceiling frescoes and fresco in the

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

) (1736)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunther, Matthaus 1705 births 1788 deaths 18th-century German painters 18th-century German male artists German male painters German Roman Catholics Baroque painters People from Weilheim-Schongau Catholic painters