Hermann Fidel Winterhalter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hermann Winterhalter (September 23, 1808, Menzenschwand, Germany – February 24, 1891, Karlsruhe) was a German painter, younger brother of the portrait painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1806-73).

Hermann Fidel Winterhalter was born on 23 September 1808 in the small village of Mensenschwad in the Black Forest, Grand-Duchy of Baden. His father, Fidel Winterhalter made him follow a career as a painter in the footsteps of his older brother. Hermann Winterhalter was first trained as a lithographer and later went to study painting in Munich and Rome. He settled in Paris where he assisted his brother and exhibited at the Salon 1838-41, 1847 and 1869.

So close was Hermann Winterhalter to his bother that not only his work but also his personality is hard to disassociate from his most famous sibling. There was no profesional rivalry or personal friction in the many years they worked together. Hermann was an inmense support to Franz Xavier international succesful carreer, he was in charge of his brother studio in Paris while Franz Xavier was abroad. He lived independently and had his own personality and points of view. On the 1850s Hermann was more independent and developed a small portrait practice of his own. Among his work are; A girl from Frascati and the portrait of his Parisian patron Nicolas-Louis Planat de la Faye that is in the Louvre.

After the fall of the second Empire, both brothers decided to retired in Baden. Franz Xavier died in 1873, Hermann outlived him for almost twenty years. He died on 24 February 1891in Karlsruhe.