Emanuel Leutze (1816 - 1868)

Emanuel Leutze

Emanuel Leutze was an American and German painter of the mid-nineteenth century. He is known as a painter who worked in the historical genre and is considered a representative of the Düsseldorf School of painting.

Emanuel Leutze was born in Germany and moved to America at the age of nine. He received his art education in Philadelphia, then, returning to Germany, at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. His most famous painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware," was painted in his native country, with views of the Delaware River taken from Rhenish landscapes. Returning to the United States in 1859, the artist decorated the Washington Capitol with his historical paintings. His work is highly regarded in America for its patriotic orientation.

In Germany, Leutze was one of the founders of the Association of Artists "Malkasten", the Association of German Artists, headed the Union of Mutual Aid of Düsseldorf artists.