August Riedel Biography

Born on December 25, 1799 in Bayreuth and died on August 6 or 8, 1883 in Rome. Starting 1818 Riedel studied at the Munich Academy under the aegis of Robert von Langer. In 1823 he undertook his first journey to Italy. Owing to differences with the Director of the Academy, Peter von Cornelius, Riedel went to Dresden where he studied the old masters intensively. In 1832 he relocated permanently to Rome. Riedel, who is also known for his psychologically sensitive portraits, is primarily appreciated for his Italian genre scenes, which, early on, displayed a characteristically heightened and luminous coloration.