Johann Friedrich Städel

Johann Friedrich Städel (1728–1816) was a German banker and patron of the arts. He founded the Städel Art Institute in his will, donating his entire fortune, art collection and house to the institute.

Life Städel was born to Johann Daniel Städel, a spice trader who moved to Frankfurt in 1718, and Maria Dorothea Petzel, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. After his parents' deaths in 1777 and 1778, Städel took over the business, but soon transferred to banking. He was very successful in this business, doubling his wealth between 1783 and his death in 1816. He lived in his parents' house in the Kornmarkt until 1777 before moving into his own home on the .

Städel began collecting paintings and drawings in 1770. By the time of his death, his collection contained around 500 paintings, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous playwright and poet, visited the collection several times. All of the artworks owned by Städel were transferred to the collection upon his death in 1816.