Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736 - 1783)

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736 - 1783) - photo 1

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt was an 18th-century Austrian sculptor. He is known as a master of the grotesque and caricature. Messerschmidt became famous after his death. During his lifetime his contemporaries considered him at best an extravagant freak, and at worst mentally ill, although no documentary evidence of the sculptor's mental illnesses has yet been found.

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt was an adherent of Classicism at the initial stage of his work. But then the artist decisively abandoned the principles of classical art. He became famous for making a large series of busts, which the sculptor himself called "heads". The faces of the characters in these works are distorted by all kinds of grimaces and display vivid human emotions. All in all Messerschmidt managed to produce more than 50 heads, which during his lifetime did not arouse the interest of potential customers.

In January 2005, the Louvre acquired one of the "heads" at an auction Sotheby's for a record price of 4 800 000 U.S. dollars.

Date and place of birt:6 february 1736, Wiesensteig, Germany
Date and place of death:19 august 1783, Bratislava, Slovakia
Nationality:Austria, Germany, Slovakia
Period of activity: XVIII century
Specialization:Artist, Portraitist, Sculptor
Genre:Portrait sculpture, Portrait
Art style:Classicism

Creators Austria

Heinz Gappmayr (1925 - 2010)
Heinz Gappmayr
1925 - 2010
Albert Rieger (1834 - 1905)
Albert Rieger
1834 - 1905
Friedrich August Brand (1735 - 1806)
Friedrich August Brand
1735 - 1806
Anton Schroedl (1820 - 1906)
Anton Schroedl
1820 - 1906
Julius Paul Junghanns (1876 - 1958)
Julius Paul Junghanns
1876 - 1958
Paul Unbereit (1884 - 1937)
Paul Unbereit
1884 - 1937
Joseph Abel (1764 - 1818)
Joseph Abel
1764 - 1818
Johann Michael Rottmayr (1656 - 1730)
Johann Michael Rottmayr
1656 - 1730
Joseph Kreutzinger (1757 - 1829)
Joseph Kreutzinger
1757 - 1829
Franz Joseph Textor (1692 - 1741)
Franz Joseph Textor
1692 - 1741
Julius Kossak (1824 - 1899)
Julius Kossak
1824 - 1899
Siegfried Anzinger (1953)
Siegfried Anzinger
1953
Ludwig Obersteiner (1857 - 1896)
Ludwig Obersteiner
1857 - 1896
Nikolaus Koliusis (1953)
Nikolaus Koliusis
1953
Moritz von Schwind (1804 - 1871)
Moritz von Schwind
1804 - 1871
Wolfgang Paalen (1905 - 1959)
Wolfgang Paalen
1905 - 1959

Creators Classicism

Joseph Feuerstein (1733 - 1809)
Joseph Feuerstein
1733 - 1809
Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (1697 - 1771)
Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli
1697 - 1771
Heinrich Ludwig Frische (1831 - 1901)
Heinrich Ludwig Frische
1831 - 1901
Franz Sigrist (1727 - 1803)
Franz Sigrist
1727 - 1803
Charles Cumberworth (1811 - 1852)
Charles Cumberworth
1811 - 1852
Giuseppe Patania (1780 - 1852)
Giuseppe Patania
1780 - 1852
William Linton (1791 - 1876)
William Linton
1791 - 1876
Karel Postl (1769 - 1818)
Karel Postl
1769 - 1818
Richard Linderum (1851 - 1926)
Richard Linderum
1851 - 1926
Friedrich Cauer (1874 - 1945)
Friedrich Cauer
1874 - 1945
Lorand Gaspar (1925 - 2019)
Lorand Gaspar
1925 - 2019
Jean Restout (1692 - 1768)
Jean Restout
1692 - 1768
Albert Emil Kirchner (1813 - 1885)
Albert Emil Kirchner
1813 - 1885
Gabriel Revel (1643 - 1712)
Gabriel Revel
1643 - 1712
Joseph Wilton (1722 - 1803)
Joseph Wilton
1722 - 1803
Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865)
Utagawa Kunisada
1786 - 1865
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