Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow – a brilliant romantic artist and founder of the world-famous Düsseldorf school of painting

Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow (September 6, 1788 – March 19, 1862) – the famous Prussian painter of the first half of the 19th century, an outstanding master of romanticism. He is best known for painting religious genre paintings, as well as single and group portraits.

Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow devoted a significant part of his life to teaching young artists. For 23 years he headed the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts and brought up a number of talented students.

Biography

Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow was born on September 6, 1788 in Berlin in the family of a famous sculptor. From early childhood, the boy showed a talent for fine arts, and he willingly spent all his free time in his father’s workshop, studying the basics of drawing. Friedrich at the age of 20 chose a career as a painter and in 1808 successfully passed the entrance exams to the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts.

Under the guidance of professors Friedrich Georg Veitsch and Karl Wilhelm Wach, the young man achieved brilliant success in his studies and graduated with honors from the academy in 1810. Having received his diploma, he left for Rome with Rudolph, where he lived for the next nine years.

In the capital of Italy, Friedrich met the famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, and then joined the Union of Saint Luke, a group of young German and Austrian romantic artists led by Friedrich Overbeck and Peter Cornelius.

Under the influence of new friends, Shadov became interested in religious painting.

Together with the Nazarenes, Frederick for several years was engaged in the manufacture of frescoes in the homes of the Roman nobility, but then decided to return to his homeland.

Fortunately, in 1819 he received an invitation from the chief architect of Prussia. Karl Friedrich Schinkel, to take up a professorship at the Berlin Academy of Arts. And he accepted the offer without hesitation. Shadov, who at that time was 31 years old, took up teaching with great enthusiasm.

In 1820, the artist married a girl from a wealthy metropolitan family. This family union turned out to be happy, the wife gave Shadov two children – a girl Sophia and a boy Johann, who, unfortunately, did not inherit the ability to fine arts from their father.

In 1825, the authoritative master became the head of the Düsseldorf Art Academy

The appointment of a new director turned out to be very successful for this educational institution. It was under the leadership of Shadov that the famous Düsseldorf Art School was formed in the ancient German city by the middle of the 19th century, to which more than 4,000 painters from different parts of the Earth belonged.

In addition, he wrote scientific works on the theory of art and defended his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn. And in 1845 he was awarded the title of nobility for services to national art.

The influential artist was remarkable for his amazing industriousness and worked actively until 1857, without experiencing health problems. But on the eve of his 69th birthday, he miraculously survived a severe stroke and immediately turned into a sick, feeble old man. The master was forced to resign from his post and stopped appearing in public until his death. Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow was died in the house of his daughter Sophia at the age of 73.