Peter von Cornelius

Peter von Cornelius 1783-1867, German painter. He studied at Düsseldorf and in Rome, where he joined the German Nazarene group and collaborated with other members in the decoration of the Casa Bartoldy. In 1820 he was commissioned by Louis I of Bavaria to paint the fresco decorations in the Glyptothek, Munich. The Last Judgment was one of his fresco decorations for the Ludwigskirche, Munich. Cornelius believed that art should express noble ideals, and he disdained to work from nature. His favorite themes were religious or philosophical. In addition to his painting, Cornelius produced illustrations for Faust and the Nibelungenlied and designs for the decoration of the royal mausoleum, done for Frederick William II of Prussia.

Cornelius, Peter (b Düsseldorf, 23 Sept. 1783; d Berlin, 6 Mar. 1867). German painter, draughtsman, and teacher. He trained at the Düsseldorf Academy, where his father was a teacher, and from the beginning of his career his primary ambition was to produce monumental wall paintings. He moved to Rome in 1811 and the following year became a member of the Nazarenes. In 1819 he was called to Munich by Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later Ludwig I), for whom he worked extensively, notably on a series of frescos in the Ludwigskirche (1836–9), including a Last Judgement that is larger than Michelangelo's in the Sistine Chapel. In 1841 he moved to Berlin to work for Frederick William IV of Prussia. His major commission there was for a series of frescos in a mausoleum for the royal family. The project was officially cancelled after the revolution in 1848, but Cornelius continued to work on his drawings for it for the rest of his life. From 1853 to 1861 he lived in Rome again. His style is rather self-conscious in its desire to revive the heroic pictorial language of Raphael and Michelangelo, and combine it with the didactic philosophy of German Romanticism, but his work has an impressive epic sweep. He was director of the academies at Düsseldorf (1821–5) and Munich (from 1825) and he helped to make these institutions the most important centres in Germany for the teaching of history painting. His work was a major influence in promoting a revival of fresco decoration in Germany and his reputation in the field was such that in 1841 he visited London to give advice on the projected mural decorations for the Houses of Parliament.

Cornelius, Peter (1783–1867). German painter, draughtsman, and teacher. He was born in Düsseldorf, and trained there at the Academy, where his father was a teacher. From the beginning of his career his primary ambition was to produce monumental wall paintings. He moved to Rome in 1811 and the following year became a member of the Nazarenes. In 1819 he was called to Munich by Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later Ludwig I), for whom he worked extensively, notably on a series of frescos in the Ludwigskirche (1836–9), including a Last Judgement that is larger than Michelangelo's in the Sistine Chapel. In 1841 he moved to Berlin to work for Frederick William IV of Prussia. His major commission there was for a series of frescos in a mausoleum for the royal family. The project was officially cancelled after the revolution in 1848, but Cornelius continued to work on his drawings for it for the rest of his life. In 1853 to 1861 he lived in Rome again. His style is rather self-conscious in its desire to revive the heroic pictorial language of Raphael and Michelangelo, and combine it with the didactic philosophy of German Romanticism, but his work has an impressive epic sweep. Cornelius was director of the academies at Düsseldorf (1821–5) and Munich (from 1825) and he helped to make these institutions the most important centres in Germany for the teaching of history painting. His work was a major influence in promoting a revival of fresco decoration in Germany and his reputation in the field was such that in 1841 he visited London to give advice on the projected mural decorations for the Houses of Parliament.