Hiasl Maier-Erding

Hiasl Maier-Erding (1894–1933), German, Hiasl Maier-Erding, born Matthias Maier on May 5, 1894, in Erding, Germany, emerged as a distinguished painter known for his landscapes of the Chiemsee region and his portraits. The son of a innkeeper family, Maier-Erding embarked on his artistic journey in 1907, apprenticing under the decorator painter Schöberl in Prien am Chiemsee. His formal education in art began at the Kunstgewerbeschule in 1911, followed by studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 1912. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw Maier-Erding drafted into the Heavy Cavalry, where he created numerous soldier portraits that gained widespread recognition through art postcards.
Post-war, Maier-Erding's talent caught the attention of the Duke of Mecklenburg, who sponsored his study tour across Germany's major museums and introduced him to Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands. During his time in Holland, Maier-Erding immersed himself in the works of Dutch masters like Rembrandt and Hals, even painting a portrait of Prince Hendrik. Returning to Chiemsee in 1919, he settled in Gstadt, joining the 'Frauenwörther' artists' association on Frauenchiemsee Island in 1920. His notable works include the decoration of the Kriegerkapelle on Frauenchiemsee in 1926, featuring a triptych with a praying elderly fisher couple against the backdrop of Chiemsee and Fraueninsel. Maier-Erding's life was cut short by a kidney inflammation, leading to his death on April 30, 1933, in Munich. His legacy is honored through streets named after him in Erding, Gstadt, and Poing, and his painting 'Im Wirtsgarten' was featured on the mug of Erding's 2017 Autumn Festival.