Johann Peter Theodor Janssen (12 December 1844,

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19 February 1908, Düsseldorf) was a German historical painter.

Biography

Janssen was born in

, son of the engraver (1817–1894), by whom he was first instructed before studying at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Karl Ferdinand Sohn and Eduard Bendemann. He is principally known through a series of decorative works whose monumental style and sound naturalism won him a reputation as one of the foremost historical painters of his time. He became a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 1877 and its director in 1895, and was elected a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1885. In

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, he worked also for Emil Hünten. He was the brother of sculptor Karl Janssen, whose works include the in Düsseldorf, and "" ("Stonebreaking Woman"), which is owned by the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Janssen's grandson (19061979) was also a painter.

Works

Janssen's significant murals include: * "" ("Colonization of the

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Provinces by the Hansa. 1201."), in the New Exchange in Bremen (1872) * "" ("The Myth of Prometheus"), 11 (possibly 12) part mural sequence, in what was formerly named the "second Cornelius Room" () of the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin (18741876) * Six large and three smaller murals of scenes from the history of

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, in the (ballroom) of the (completed in 1882) * A group of frieze and ceiling paintings: "" ("Human Life"), "" ("Imagination"), "" ("Beauty"), and "" ("Nature"), in the (auditorium) of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (18861896) * Seven part mural sequence of scenes from the legend of ''Otto der Schütz'' (Otto the Archer) and the history of Marburg, in the (auditorium) of the University of Marburg's (Old University) building (18951903) Some of Janssen's significant oil paintings: * "" ("The Denial of Peter"), completed in 1869, was once owned by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in

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. * "" ("The Childhood of Bacchus)", completed in 1882, was displayed at the "" ("International Art Exhibition") held in

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in 1883. * "" ("Walther Dodde and the Peasants of Berg at the

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"), completed in 1893, was first exhibited in the , and is now displayed in the . The New International Encyclopedia described it as "a composition of great dramatic power, containing many life-size figures". In 1893 it earned Janssen a "great gold medal" at the first (Great Berlin Art Exhibition).

Selected paintings

File:Hermann (Arminius) at the battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE by Peter Jannsen, 1873, with painting creases and damage removed.jpg,
("The Victorious Advancing Hermann")
—

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, completed in 1873 File:FriedrichBarbarossa.jpg, Submission of Henry the Lion to Frederick Barbarossa
— Erfurt, completed in 1882 File:Worringen 1288.jpg,
("Walther Dodde and the Peasants of Berg at the Battle of Worringen")
— displayed in Düsseldorf, completed in 1893 File:Peter Janssen, Kaiser Friedrich II.jpg,
(" Emperor Friedrich II Dismisses

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Moving to

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1236")
— Marburg, 18951903

Sources

References

Notes

External links

Janssen's life and art

Entry in the 6th edition of
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janssen, Peter 19th-century German painters 19th-century German male artists German male painters 20th-century German painters 20th-century German male artists 1844 births 1908 deaths Kunstakademie Düsseldorf alumni Academic staff of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf German history painters Painters from Düsseldorf