Franz
Kruger

Franz Kruger was born on 10 Sep 1797 in the family of a poor official of Frederick Krueger as the village of Gros-Radegast, Duchy of Anhalt-Dessau. His first art teacher was a local ornithologist I. F. Naumann, which for scientific purposes made sketches of different species of birds. In 1812, Franz Kruger moved to Berlin, where he enrolled in the Berlin Academy of arts. After graduation, he continued his education independently. In 1818 the artist presented at the exhibition in the Berlin Academy for his work on military and hunting theme. In 1825 Friedrich Wilhelm III appointed Kruger court painter. Franz Kruger died in 1857 and was buried in Berlin cemetery Dorotheum front of the Brandenburg gate.

German painter, master of ceremonial portraits and panoramas of military parades.

The son of an official. He first studied with artist Carl Wilhelm Kolbe, who instilled in him the qualities of precise observation. In 1812-14, he studied at the Academy of Arts in Berlin, and later studied painting independently.

In 1818-1819 executed a series of paintings, dedicated to the struggle of the German people against the Emperor Napoleon, in 1820 wrote the equestrian portraits of the Prince August of Prussia and count von Gneisenau, in the future, used their patronage.

From 1825 Professor and member of the Berlin Academy of arts, court painter of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III. From 1831 honorary free member of the St. Petersburg Academy of arts.

By order of the Grand Duke Nikolay Pavlovich (the future Emperor Nicholas I) has executed a large composition "Parade on the Opera square in Berlin" (1824-1831, Berlin, national gallery). In 1832, 1836, 1844-1845, 1847, 1850-1851 worked in Russia at the court of Emperor Nicholas I.

Large images of the parade ("the parade on the street a-Platz", 1824-29, national gallery, Berlin) Kruger vividly and accurately showed the Berlin society.

Along with the official custom paintings and portraits played intimate portraits and genre, including hunting, scenes in the spirit of Biedermeier.

Among the most significant works of Krueger — equestrian portraits of king Friedrich Wilhelm III (1831) and of Emperor Alexander I (1837) for the Military gallery of the Winter Palace, the portrait of Emperor Nicholas I and Tsesarevich Alexander Nikolayevich, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and entourage (1835, Tsarskoye Selo, Alexander Palace), portraits of Russian generals, commanders and statesmen of A. H. Benkendorf, I. V. Vasilchikov, P. X Wittgenstein,

P. M. Volkonsky, Mikhail Vorontsov, I. F. Paskevich, A. I. Chernysheva and other for Large and Small Fieldmarshals ' halls of the Winter Palace (1834-1856, Saint-Petersburg, the State Hermitage Museum).

Enjoyed a special arrangement of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I, he left behind many works that have become priceless documents in our national history, portraits of members of the Royal family, high nobility, paintings of court life, uniforms, medals, parades and exercises.

A collection of "Russian" works of Krueger features over 100 exhibits over 70 paintings and graphic works, lithographs of his works, watercolors of Palace interiors, where at one time there were pictures of Kruger.

As a royalist, krüger was profoundly dismayed by the political excitement of 1848, and his last large painting of a Regimental parade in Potsdam (1849; Berlin), already does not repeat the Patriotic sentiments of the previous paintings.