Dominicus van der Smissen explained

Dominicus van der Smissen, or Van der Schmissen (28 April 1704, in Altona – 6 January 1760, in Altona) was a German painter, known primarily for portraits.

Life and work

He was born to a family of merchants who were originally from Brabant. As Mennonites, they fled religious persecution to live in Schleswig-Holstein, which was then part of Denmark. They eventually settled in Altona where his father,, founded one of the city's largest trading houses.

He was a student of Balthasar Denner. In 1730, he married Denner's sister, Catharina (1693–1778). His father-in-law,, was a Mennonite preacher.[1] Their son, Jakob (1735–1813), also became a painter and later worked as a drawing professor in Altona.[2]

Very little else is known about his life; except that worked as an itinerant portrait painter. Around 1738, he was living in Altona and, the following two years, was a court painter in Braunschweig. During the remainder of the 1740s, he was in Dresden and Amsterdam. The 1750s found him in London. When he fell ill with gout, he returned to Altona in hopes of being cured; but his condition worsened until he became paralyzed and soon died.[3]

As a Freemason, he was a member of several lodges, notably in Leipzig, of which he became a member in 1747.[4]

Most of his works were in private collections. A large number were in Hamburg. Many of them can no longer be located.[5]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Ute Haysessen: Denner, Jacob. in: Biographisches Lexikon für Schleswig-Holstein und Lübeck. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1982. Vol.6,, pg.76.
  2. (Google Books)
  3. Der neue Rump. Lexikon der bildenden Künstler Hamburgs, Altonas und der näheren Umgebung., revised edition of the Lexicon by Ernst Rump (1912). Wachholtz, Neumünster 2005, pg.418.
  4. https://mzddpblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/2011_11_15_suess_alexander_dominicus_van_der_smissen.pdf Nachweis der Freimaurerei
  5. [Alfred Lichtwark]