WENTZINGER, Johann Christian
(b. 1710, Ehrenstetten im Breisgau, d. 1797, Freiburg im Breisgau)

Biography

German sculptor, stuccoist, and painter. After his trip to Italy in 1731, he spent the period between 1735 and 1737 at the Paris Académie des Beaux-Arts before setting up in business as an artist in the Breisgau area. Influenced partly by Italian terracotta work, he used the amorphous material of clay to achieve a more direct realization of his sculptural ideas. At the same time, this led him to produce models or maquettes.

From 1745 he worked from Freiburg for Breisgau and the neighbouring regions. Wentzinger's artistic and social work was honoured by the city during his lifetime with the appointment as honorary citizen and honorary city council. However, the hand of Katharina Egg, daughter of the mayor, was denied him.