Category

(24.4. 1852, München – 15.11.1901, München) 

Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann was a German painter, who is classified as part of the Munich School. He received his first art education from his father Reinhard Sebastian Zimmermann, who was also an artist. He completed his knowledge by enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he studied under the mentorship of Wilhelm von Diez.

Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann - Gentleman with a cigarette
At first, he painted only genre and humorous images, among which the most recognizable is Old Man Repairing His Violin. Later, Zimmermann focused on historical painting. He placed special emphasis on color, as he was inspired by Venetian authors. This can be seen in the image Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple, which he painted in 1879. This creative period represents one of the major turning points in Zimmermann's life. During this time, he lived in his father's house in Munich, and in his free time he often visited the area around Lake Constance. On one of the journeys, he was injured by a horse, which had long-term consequences for the artist.
He was forced to sell the inn and bought a new home in Meersburg. There he also set up a studio in which he painted all the time. Zimmermann died from his injury at the age of 49. Zimmermann became a royal professor and an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He also enjoyed socializing with other artists, such as Wilhelm Leibl, Franz von Lenbach, and Wilhelm Busch. Later in life, he married the artist Keyser's sister, who gave birth to his second daughter. She also became an excellent painter, like her father, his uncle, and other members of the Zimmermann family. Ernst Zimmermann left behind an important oeuvre, with which he influenced both domestic and a wider circle of European artists.
Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann je bil nemški slikar, ki ga uvrščamo v Munchensko šolo. Svojo prvo likovno izobrazbo je prejel od očeta Reinharda Sebastiana Zimmermanna, ki je bil prav tako umetnik. Znanje je dopolnil z vpisom na Akademijo likovnih umetnosti v Münchnu, kjer je študiral pod mentorstvom Wilhelma von Dieza.
---

Sprva je slikal le žanr in humoristične podobe, med katerimi je najbolj prepoznana Starec, ki popravlja svojo violino. Kasneje se je Zimmermann osredotočil na historično slikarstvo. Poseben poudarek znotraj tega je namenil barvi, saj se je zgledoval po beneških avtorjih. To je mogoče opaziti v podobi Dvanajstletni Jezus v templju, ki jo je upodobil leta 1879. To ustvarialno obdobje predstavlja eno izmed večjih prelomnic v Zimermanovem življenju. V tem času je bival v očetovi hiši v Münchnu, v prostem času pa je večkrat obiskal okolico Bodenskega jezera. Na eni izmed poti je zaradi udarca konja utrpel poškodbo, kar je umetniku povzročilo dolgoletne posledice. 

Prisiljen je bil prodati gostilno in si je kupil nov dom v Meersburgu. Tam si je uredil tudi atelje, v katerem je ves čas slikal. Zimmermann je zaradi poškodbe umrl v starosti 49 let. Zimmermann je postal kraljevi profesor in častni član Akademije likovnih umetnosti v Münchnu. Rad se je družil tudi z drugimi ustvarjalci npr. Wilhelmom Leiblom, Franzom von Lenbachom, Wilhelmom Buschem. Kasneje v življenju se je poročil s sestro umetnika Keyserja, ki mu je rodila naslednjika. Tudi ta je postal odličen slikar, tako kot oče, njegov stric in drugi člani družine Zimmermann. Ernst Zimmermann je za seboj pustil pomemben opus, s katerim je vplival tako na domače kot tudi na širši krog evropskih umetnikov.

Besedilo je za galerijo Porta Alpina pripravila Pia Župevec, dipl. um. zgod.
The text was prepared for the Porta Alpina gallery by Pia Župevec, B.Sc. art history


SOURCES/VIRI: 
Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann, Sammlung Pinakothek, https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/de/artist/ZKGPJQZxgA (11.2.2026).
Lieselotte E. KURTH-VOIGT, Zimmermans Ueber die Einsamkeit, Zur Rezeption des Werkes, CXVI/3, 2001.
Lorraine DASTON, Taking Notes, Isis, LXXXXV/3, 2004.

  • Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann - Gentleman with a cigarette Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann - Gentleman with a cigarette
    Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann - Gentleman with a cigarette

For all additional information regarding the purchase and other services, you can contact us by phone or e-mail: info@portaalpina-gallery.com

We will try to answer you as soon as possible.