Leo von Klenze | |
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| Born | Franz Karl Leopold von Klenze (1784-02-29)29 February 1784 |
| Died | 26 January 1864(1864-01-26) (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Alter Südfriedhof, Munich, Germany |
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Leo von Klenze (bornFranz Karl Leopold von Klenze; 29 February 1784 – 26 January 1864) was a German architect and painter. He was the court architect ofLudwig I of Bavaria.
Von Klenze was a devotee ofNeoclassicism and one of the most prominent representatives ofGreek Revival style.
Von Klenze studied architecture and public building finance underFriedrich Gilly in Berlin, and worked as an apprentice toCharles Percier andPierre François Léonard Fontaine in Paris. Between 1808 and 1813, he was a court architect ofJérôme Bonaparte, King ofWestphalia. He later moved toBavaria and began work as court architect ofLudwig I in 1816.
Ludwig I's passion forHellenism shaped the architectural style of von Klenze. He built many neoclassical buildings in Munich, including theRuhmeshalle andMonopteros temple. He designed the layout ofKönigsplatz, aneoclassical square in Munich. NearRegensburg, he built theWalhalla temple, named afterValhalla.
Von Klenze designed and arranged museum galleries in Munich, including theGlyptothek, Ludwig I's museum for antique sculpture, and theAlte Pinakothek, a painting gallery for the pictures of theWittelsbach collection that opened in 1836.[citation needed] The Alte Pinakothek was situated in an open park land, theKunstareal, and became a national gallery.[1] The functional logic and the modernity of the Alte Pinakothek were much admired. The Alte Pinakothek was acknowledged as the most advanced museum building in Europe and von Klenze was invited to London in 1836 by the House of Commons. There, was interviewed aboutBavarian cultural policies and the Alte Pinakothek. Von Klenze detailed the educational and political aspects of the Munich museums, which were free to the public.[2]
When Greece won its independence, Ludwig I's sonOtto became the country's first king. Von Klenze was invited toAthens to submit plans of city reconstruction in the style ofAncient Greece. In 1838,Nicholas I of Russia commissioned von Klenze to design a building for theHermitage Museum, a public museum to display the collection of antiquities, paintings, coins and medals, cameos, prints and drawings, and books that had been assembled by theHouse of Romanov.
Von Klenze was not only an architect, but also an accomplished painter. He depicted ancient buildings in many of his paintings, serving as models for his own architectural projects. Von Klenze studied ancient architecture during his travels to Italy and Greece. He also participated in excavations of ancient buildings inAthens and submitted proposals for the restoration of theAcropolis.[citation needed]
Von Klenze collected works of important contemporary German painters. He sold his collection, including 58 landscapes and genre paintings, toLudwig I of Bavaria in 1841. These paintings form the core of theNeue Pinakothek museum's collection.
Von Klenze married Maria Felicitas Blangini (1790–1844), a beauty at the court of Ludwig I. Their granddaughter Irene Athenais von Klenze became Countess Courten (1850–1916).
Von Klenze died in 1864 and was buried in theAlter Südfriedhof in Munich.
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