Franz Xaver Gräßel

Franz Xaver Gräßel
Franz Xaver Gräßel (1861–1948), German, Franz Xaver Gräßel, a German painter renowned for his genre paintings, was born on November 24, 1861, in Obersasbach, Baden, and passed away on March 4, 1948, in Emmering. Growing up on a mill near Obersasbach, Gräßel's early education took place at the higher civic school in Achern. His artistic journey began at the Karlsruhe Art Academy from 1878 to 1884, where he studied under Conrad Hoff, specializing in genre and portrait painting. Gräßel's career took a significant turn in 1885 when he was appointed as a teacher at the Gymnasium in St. Stephan, Strasbourg. Between 1886 and 1890, he furthered his studies at the Munich Academy under Wilhelm von Lindenschmit, following extensive study trips.
Gäßel's oeuvre in the 1880s was predominantly characterized by rural and peasant motifs, earning him the nickname 'Entenmaler' (Duck Painter) due to his fondness for depicting poultry. However, his artistic repertoire also included portraits and landscapes. In 1900, Gräßel settled in Emmering near Fürstenfeldbruck, joining a colony of artists known as the 'Brucker Maler.' His marriage to Wilhelmine 'Minna' Auguste Müller in 1901 marked a personal milestone, while his appointment as a royal academy professor at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts in 1911 by Prince Regent Luitpold underscored his professional acclaim. Gräßel's legacy was further cemented when he became the honorary chairman of the newly founded Brucker Artists' Association in 1924. Despite his artistic contributions, Gräßel's affiliation with the NSDAP in 1932 and his participation in the Great German Art Exhibition in Munich during the late 1930s remain contentious aspects of his biography. His works, celebrated in their time, are held in prestigious collections across Germany, though his later years were marred by the theft of two paintings from Emmering's town hall in 2006.
  • Children with Geese (1887)

    Children with Geese (1887)

    Franz Xaver Gräßel (German, 1861–1948)

    Two barefoot children pause in a sunlit field, their laughter silent as geese waddle close. One child reaches out, fingers brushing white feathers, while the other watches with wide eyes. The grass bends underfoot, alive with the quiet tension of trust between small hands and wary beaks.

  • Meadow with Flowers (1904)

    Meadow with Flowers (1904)

    Franz Xaver Gräßel (German, 1861–1948)

    A burst of wildflowers spills across the meadow, their colors flickering like scattered sunlight. Loose brushstrokes suggest petals trembling in a breeze you can almost feel—nature caught mid-breath. The field hums with unseen life beneath that vast, open sky.

  • Gutach Woman in a Meadow (1900)

    Gutach Woman in a Meadow (1900)

    Franz Xaver Gräßel (German, 1861–1948)

    A woman stands in tall grass, sunlight dappling her dress. The brushstrokes blur wildflowers into a haze of color around her. She seems caught between movement and stillness, as if pausing mid-step to listen. The meadow hums with unseen life.