Johann Carl Loth

Jupiter and Mercury with Philemon and Baucis, 1659 (Kunsthistorisches Museum)
Eve Tempting Adam, National Gallery of Canada

Johann Carl Loth (1632 – 6 October 1698) was a German Baroque painter, born in Munich but working in Venice for the last 35 years of his life. He is also called Johann Karl, Karel, and in Italy, Carlotto, and Carlo Lotti.[1]

He mostly painted history paintings, with a number of figures seen close up in a rather crowded picture space. His subjects were typically from classical mythology or the Old Testament.

Biography

According to Houbraken he was one of three grand masters of art called "Karel" (the other two were Karel Dujardin and Karel Marat.[2] He was the son and pupil of Johann Ulrich Loth (1590–1662)[1] and was possibly influenced by Giovan Battista Langetti. He was commissioned to paint for the emperor Leopold I in Vienna. He worked together with Pietro Liberi in Venice, where he was during the years 1663-1698.[1] His brother Franz Loth was also a painter in Venice and Germany.

He had numerous pupils including Michael Wenzel Halbax, Santo Prunati, the painters from Laufen Johann Michael Rottmayr & Hans Adam Weissenkircher, Daniel Seiter, and (Baron) Peter Strudel.[1]

Popularity among Dutch artists

He attracted well-to-do artists who made trips especially to visit his studio, such as Cornelis de Bruijn and Jan van Bunnik. He became friends with the painters Willem Drost[2] and Jan Vermeer van Utrecht.[3] He is buried in the San Luca church in Venice.[4]

His works are mostly in Germany and Italy. Other museums with works by Loth include the Art Institute of Chicago, National Gallery, London and the Bergen Art Museum in Bergen, Norway (Martyr). Burghley House in England has two large paintings in the chapel.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Johann Carl Loth in the RKD
  2. 1 2 (in Dutch) Drost Biography in De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature
  3. ↑ Joan vander Meer Biography in Houbraken
  4. ↑ San Luca church on website of churches of Venice

Media related to Johann Carl Loth at Wikimedia Commons


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