Carol Wallenstein de Vella
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Carol Wallenstein de Vella, also known as Karol Wallenstein or Carol Valștain (1795 – 26 December 1858) was a Croatian-born Romanian painter, art professor, and
museographer, who served as the first drawing teacher at the Princely Academy of Saint Sava. Some sources give his year of death as 1863.[1]
Biography
Carol was born in
Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. Upon graduating, he went to Brașov for his apprenticeship. In 1817, he settled in Craiova, with his aunt's family. In 1821, after establishing his reputation as an artist and teacher, he married a Romanian woman from Slatina.[2]
The year 1829 found him in the service of the public schools. As a result, the following year, he was appointed a professor at the new
Prince of Wallachia.[1]
He used his experience at Saint Sava to acquire and organize the first collection of sculpture casts, based on the works of the old
Italian Masters. He also collected contemporary paintings and fictional or posthumous portraits of the old Romanian rulers. His own self-portrait is done in that style.[2] He was also involved in numismatics and the natural sciences; especially ornithology, in which he had a strong personal interest.[1]
In 1850, by the decree of Prince
Barbu Știrbei, a separate painting gallery was established at the museum, under Wallenstein's management.[2] Stirbei donated two paintings from his own collection to start the gallery; one by Gheorghe Tattarescu, who was studying in Rome, and one by Petre Alexandrescu. In 1851, Stirbei approved the purchase of five works by Constantin Lecca.[2]
Not long before his death he founded a printing house, together with his friend, Carol Szathmari.[2] He died in Bucharest. His son, Iosif (1831-1900), became a drawing teacher in Ploiești.
References
- ^ a b c Biography of Wallenstein at Muzeul Grigore Antipa
- ^ a b c d e f Expozitia "Domnitori Şi Principi Ai ŢărilorR Române" (Biography of Wallenstein begins on page 14)
- ^ V. A. Urechia: Istoria școalelor de la 1800-1864 (4 volume, 1892-1904), Imprimeria Statului
Further reading
- Ioan Vlad and Gheorghe Stancoveanu: Carol Valștain, Editura Muzeul de Artă Craiova, 1967
- Adrian-Silvan Ionescu: Învățământul artistic românesc 1830-1892, Editura Meridiane, 1999. ISBN 978-973-33039-0-9
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carol Wallenstein de Vella.
- Muzeul Național de Istorie a României - IX, Cornelia Apostol (Ed.) 1997
- "Începuturile învățământului românesc de arhitectură în Țările Române" @ Arhitectura