Wilhelm Lamprecht, German, active in the United States, 1838 - 1922, The Right Reverend Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., c. 1866, Oil on canvas, Gift of Right Reverend Bonifaz Haneberg, O.S.B., Saint Vincent Archabbey Collection. Photo: Richard Stoner.
Formerly part of a larger painting, Wilhelm Lamprecht’s full-length portrait of Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., was likely cut down due to damage sustained by the piece in subsequent decades. A carte de visite of Lamprecht’s original portrait depicts Wimmer confidently pointing to a scroll indicating his appointment as abbot for life by Pope Pius XI on June 16, 1866. Days after his audience with the Holy See, Wimmer traveled to Munich where he posed to have this proud moment commemorated. Abbot Bonifaz Haneberg of St. Boniface’s Abbey in Munich commissioned Lamprecht to create the portrait. Wimmer’s reception of the painting was exceedingly positive, resulting in his payment for Lamprecht to produce murals for St. Mary’s Church in Newark, New Jersey - recently established by the Benedictines of Saint Vincent. Lamprecht’s accomplished portrait effectively served as a transformative voucher, securing the artist’s passage to America.
At the time of this commission, Lamprecht had been studying under Johann von Schraudolph at the Munich Royal Academy of Art since 1859. A descendant of Germany’s early 19th century Nazarene movement, Von Schraudolph trained Lamprecht in large-scale historical and religious scenes having received several important commissions from King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Upon completion of a decorative campaign for St. Mary’s in Newark in 1867, Lamprecht relocated to Cincinnati to join the Covington Altar Building Stock Company. Under the direction of Br. Cosmos Wolf, OSB, Lamprecht assisted the Company in outfitting churches with liturgical appointments largely executed in a German neo-Gothic style. Before returning to Munich in 1901, Lamprecht had created work for some 300 churches in North America.
At the time of this commission, Lamprecht had been studying under Johann von Schraudolph at the Munich Royal Academy of Art since 1859. A descendant of Germany’s early 19th century Nazarene movement, Von Schraudolph trained Lamprecht in large-scale historical and religious scenes having received several important commissions from King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Upon completion of a decorative campaign for St. Mary’s in Newark in 1867, Lamprecht relocated to Cincinnati to join the Covington Altar Building Stock Company. Under the direction of Br. Cosmos Wolf, OSB, Lamprecht assisted the Company in outfitting churches with liturgical appointments largely executed in a German neo-Gothic style. Before returning to Munich in 1901, Lamprecht had created work for some 300 churches in North America.
