Johannes Daniel Preisler

Johann Daniel Preissler (1666, Nuremberg – 1737) was a notable member of a German artistic family, originating in Bohemia. His children included Johan Martin Preisler, Georg Martin Preisler and Johann Justin Preissler, all artists.

Most notable for his portraits, nudes and history paintings, he also produced drawings and frescoes. He was also known beyond Nuremberg for his "Die durch Theorie erfundene Practic" (full title: "Die durch Theorie erfundene Practic oder Gründlich verfasste Reguln deren man sich als einer Anleitung zu berühmter Künstlere Zeichen-Wercke bestens bedienen kann"), a sequence of works on art-theory – the individual works were translated into several other languages and served as textbooks for students such as the Swiss Salomon Gessner right up until the 19th century. By the time of his death in 1737, Johann Caspar Füssli spoke of Preissler and Jan Kupecky as the two most famous Nuremberg artists of the early 18th century.

He received his first artistic training in his home town under his father, the history painter and portraitist Daniel Preissler (1627–1665), continuing his education in the studio of Johann Murrer. From 1688 to 1696 he stayed in Italy, including periods in Rome and Venice. In 1705 he became the director of Nuremberg's Academy of Fine Arts, which under his leadership turned into a city institution.

In 1716 he founded the Zeichenschule (drawing school), open to "poor people's children" – it proved a great success. With 71 students entering in the first year, its intake was so large that in 1721 Preissler began producing the teaching materials which later became his "Die durch Theorie erfundene Practic" – he had previously only published academic works, such as ones on anatomy. Preissler also wrote on the academically neglected topics such as ornament and flower-drawing (in 1725) and landscape drawing (1739), though throughout his writing he insisted that these were only beginners' lessons.

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