CORNELIUS, PETER YON (1783-1867). A German historical painter, the founder of the Munich School. He was born September 23, 1783. in ThisKeldorf. where his father was inspec tor of the gallery. At the age of sixteen the youth assisted in supporting the family by his art, and at the same time studied drawing in the Diisseldorf Academy under Langer. His earliest works are unimportant, hut after his removal to Frankfort-on-the:Alain in 1809. he acquired some celebrity. His first work of importance was his twelve drawings for Goethe's Faust, now in the Stade] Institute of Frankfort. In 1811 he went to Rome, devoting himself to the study of the art of the Cinquecento. especially to that of Raphael and Michelangelo. He was associated with the so-called Nazarene painters, among whom he found a life-long friend in Overbeck, but he was too independent to follow their footsteps. During this period he executed his famous drawings for the .Nibelungenlied. Together with Overbeck, Veit, and Schadow, he received a commission to decorate a room in the house of the Prussian Consul at Rome, with scenes from the "History of Joseph." In execut ing this task he revived fresco painting, which had been almost forgotten since the days of Ra phael Mengs. llis work and that of his asso ciates excited the greatest admiration, and they were engaged to decorate a room in the Villa Massimi, opposite the Lateran, with frescoes from the works of Dante, Ariosto, and Tasso. lie had scarcely begun his work when there came a double call to return to Germany. The Prussian Government invited him to become lead of the Dusseldorf Academy. and Crown Prince Louis of Bavaria chose him to decorate the new Glypto thek in Munich.
Cornelius arranged to pass his winters in Diisseldorl, where a great crowd of students soon gathered about him, and his summers in executing the frescoes in Munich. He returned to Germany in 1819, and in 1820 he began his work upon the frescoes, which were carried out by Ins pupils, painting after his design. In two great half of the Glyptothek he represented the myths of the Greek gods and heroes in works which are masterpieces of drawing and composi tion. In 1825 he became Director of the Acad emy of Munich, and was raised to the nobility by King Louis I. of Bavaria. He finished the frescoes of the Glyptothek, representing in the third hall scenes from the Iliad. All of this work, however, was executed by his and may best be studied in the original cartoons by Cornelius. which are now preserved in the National Gallery of Berlin. In 1S30 he began the decoration of the Ludwigskirche in with frescoes representing the "General Confes sion of Faith of the Christian Church." Con trary to his usual custom, he himself painted upon the large altar wall (62 X 38 feet) a fresco of the "Last Judgment." During the same time he made sketches representing the "History of Christian Art" for the twenty-five loggie of the old Pinakothek, which were painted by Zimmer maim.
After a disagreement with the King of Bavaria he was called to Berlin by Frederick William IV. in 1841, and given a commission to decorate the proposed Campo Santo, a burial-place for the royal family of Prussia. The four cartoons exe cuted for this purpose, now in the National Gallery in Berlin, surpass all his previous work. This is especially true of the one containing the "Four Apocalyptical Riders." which is a master piece of conception, dramatic life, and boldness of drawing. On the other hand, the "Beatitudes" show appreciation for the beautiful and compact in outline. Until nearly the time of his death, Cornelius was occupied with cartoons. He resided mostly in Rome, but returned to Berlin in 1861, remaining there until his death, which occurred March 6. 1867. During this last period he executed his design for a silver shield, which was a christening present of the King of Prussia to the Pfince of Wales. his godson, representing the "Expansion of the Church." He also painted his dramatic picture "Hagen Cast ing the Nibelungen Treasure into the Rhine," now in the National Gallery, Berlin.
More than any other man, Cornelius may be considered the founder of modern German art. Ids traditions are still influential in Germany, and are followed by the Mmlich School of mural painters. llis contenqmraries held hint in high repute, echoing the opinion of Crown Prince Louis: "There has been no painter like Cornelius since the Cinquecento." Modern critics, on the other hand, are not equally favorable, sonic of them, as Muther. going to the opposite ex treme of considering his activity harmful. It is true that he imitated Michelangelo. and that imitation can never produce the healthiest and greatest art; that Cornelius's work is of an intellectual character requiring study for appre ciation; that his colors are poor, and that he is sometimes deficient in technique. But, on the other hand, his works were certainly great in composition and in conception. His tendency, like was heroic, indeed Titanic, but he was not insensible to grace, and was even capable of expressing the tenderest emotion. He was more of a designer than painter, and his work must be judged by his cartoons. And cer tainly no exercised greater influence upon German art and imagination than did Cor nelius in his great cycles of frescoes in Munich and in his cartoons in Berlin. Among his pupils were Wilhelm Kaulba•h (q.v.), Carl Hermann, Eberle, and many others. All of them were devoted to the earnest but affable man, who, whatever his deficiencies, had only the highest and noblest aims in art.
Consult: :Maher, History of Modern Painting, vol i. (London, 1895) Peter non Cor nelius: eta Grdenkbuch, (Berlin, 1S74) ; Riegel, Cornelius, der Meister der dentsehen Malerel (Hanover, 1870) ; Von W'olzogen, Peter von Cornelius (Berlin, 1S67) ; Grimm, H., :Venn Essais (Berlin. 1865).