MENGS, Anton Raphael, German painter: b. Aussig, Bohemia, 12 March 1728; d. Rome, 29 June 1779. In early childhood his father, Ismail Mengs, a miniature painter of little tal ent, who was settled at Dresden, took him in hand to make a painter of him, and in 1741 carried him to Rome and set him to study the antique and to copy Michaelangelo and Raphael. He was compelled to do a certain task in paint ing every day; his day's work subjected to severe criticism; and he was even punished if it was not satisfactory. From this constant practice he early gained skill as an artist, and when he returned to Dresden his talent and proficiency were at once recognized by August III, who appointed him court painter and gave him permission to return to Rome. At Rome he attended the Academy and in 1748 produced a large and elaborate composition, 'The Holy Family,' taking as model for the Mother of Jesus a beautiful peasant girl, whom he after ward married. On his return to Dresden he was commissioned to paint an altar-piece, 'The Ascension of Christ,' for the high altar of the Chapel Royal, and was given permission to re turn to Rome for the purpose of doing so. A new academy of painting having been opened in the capitol he was appointed director and painted for the Celestines the ceiling of their church, San 'Eusebio, for Cardinal Albani the 'Parnassus> in the ceiling of his villa, and sev eral oil paintings, including 'Cleopatra,' The Holy Family' and 'The Magdalen' for private persons. • When King Charles HI of Spain
summoned him to Madrid he executed for him in fresco there 'The Assembly of the Gods' and 'The Descent from the Cross'; he also completed the altar-piece for Dresden. He re turned to Italy in 1769, stayed eight months at Florence and painted for the Pope a ceiling fresco for the Vatican Library. In 1772 he went to Spain and produced for the king the fresco 'Apotheosis of Trajan,' his finest work, but returned to Rome in 1775. On his death the Cavalier d'Azara set up a statue to him and Catherine II of Russia raised a splendid tomb for him in Saint Peter's. He was certainly one of the most important painters of his day, and if he possessed none of the free and living originality of genius he was a master of noble composition and design. He was catholic in taste and eclectic in style, drawing inspiration from the antique, as well as imitating Raphael, Titian and Correggio, whose styles he tried to blend. Consult Woermann, 'Ismail and Raphael Mengs' (in the Zeitschrift far bil dende Kunst, No. 5, 1893).