Karl friedrich lessing biography of donald

His brother, Christian Friedrich , became a doctor and botanist. His sister, Franziska Maria — , married the painter, Emil Ebers [ de ]. He spent most of his childhood in Wartenberg , where he developed an early love of nature. The following year, against his father's wishes, he decided to become a painter. A successful showing in , with the subsequent sale of the painting Kirchhof mit Leichensteinen und Ruinen im Schnee Churchyard with Gravestones and Ruins in the Snow , reconciled his father to his chosen career.

In , he undertook further studies in landscape painting with Johann Wilhelm Schirmer.

In , German Romantic painter

In the first phase of his career, he painted dark and imaginative landscapes, after the style of Caspar David Friedrich with romantic motivs like castle ruins, left churchyards Klosterhof im Schnee , , Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne , or ragged rocks, with staffage figures of monchs, knights, robbers, or gypsies. His most renowned and influential work was The Hussite Sermon Die Hussitenpredigt, which had not been a historical subject as such until then, however allowed for a variety of references to contemporary history.

Lessing married Ida Heuser — , daughter of the businessman, Heinrich Daniel Theodor Heuser — , in They had several children, including the painters, Heinrich [ de ] and Konrad Lessing [ de ] , and the sculptor, Otto Lessing. His daughter, Bertha — , married the actor, Karl Koberstein — The painter, Hans Koberstein — , was their son.

There, he resumed painting landscapes. Over the course of his career, he was awarded several honors. He was also a member of the Prussian Academy and served as chairman of the progressive artists' association " Malkasten " Paintbox.