Peter Janssen

Johann Peter Theodor Janssen (12 December 1844, Düsseldorf19 February 1908, Düsseldorf) was a German historical painter.

Biography Janssen was born in Düsseldorf, son of the engraver (1817–1894), by whom he was first instructed before studying at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Karl Ferdinand Sohn and Eduard Bendemann. He is principally known through a series of decorative works whose monumental style and sound naturalism won him a reputation as one of the foremost historical painters of his time. He became a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 1877 and its director in 1895, and was elected a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1885. In Berlin, he worked also for Emil Hünten.

He was the brother of sculptor Karl Janssen, whose works include the in Düsseldorf, and "" ("Stonebreaking Woman"), which is owned by the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

Janssen's grandson (19061979) was also a painter.

Works Janssen's significant murals include: "" ("Colonization of the Baltic Sea Provinces by the Hansa. 1201."), in the New Exchange in Bremen (1872) "" ("The Myth of Prometheus"), 11 (possibly 12) part mural sequence, in what was formerly named the "second Cornelius Room" of the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin (18741876) Six large and three smaller murals of scenes from the history of Erfurt, in the (ballroom) of the (completed in 1882) A group of frieze and ceiling paintings: "" ("Human Life"), "" ("Imagination"), "" ("Beauty"), and "" ("Nature"), in the (auditorium) of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (18861896) Seven part mural sequence of scenes from the legend of Otto der Schütz (Otto the Archer) and the history of Marburg, in the (auditorium) of the University of Marburg's (Old University) building (18951903)

Some of Janssen's significant oil paintings: "" ("The Denial of Peter"), completed in 1869, Efn|"Die Folge war ein innerer Zwiespalt, unter welchem nicht allein seine erste grössere Schöpfung, die »Verleugnung Petri« (1865 im Carton, 1869 als Oelgemälde vollendet) litt" "" ("The Childhood of Bacchus)", completed in 1882, was first exhibited in the , and is now displayed in the Düsseldorf City Hall. The New International Encyclopedia described it as "a composition of great dramatic power, containing many life-size figures". In 1893 it earned Janssen a "great gold medal" at the first (Great Berlin Art Exhibition).

Selected paintings