Dynamic Portraiture

Ferdinand von Rayski - The Royal Saxon Forestry Inspector Carl Ludwig von Schönberg - 1850 - Oil on canvas, 135 x 102 cm - Neue Pinakothek, Munich (click photo for larger image)German painter Ferdinand von Rayski (1806-1890) is best known for his portraits. From 1816 to 1821 he studied drawing in Dresden, and from 1823 to 1825 he was at the Kunstakademie. In 1829 he began his career as an artist, initially painting portraits of his noble relatives in Hannover and Silesia. From 1831 to 1834 he lived in Dresden, receiving numerous portrait commissions. In 1834-35, while in Paris, he was influenced by the paintings of Delacroix, Géricault and Gros. His use of color became freer, and his compositions more dramatic and dynamic. From 1840 until his death he lived in Dresden, though he made frequent visits to other parts of Europe for long periods of time.