Overbeck

In this illustrated biography, J. Beavington Atkinson follows Johann Friedrich Overbeck from his upbringing in Lübeck through his artistic education in Vienna and his work in Rome. Published in 1882, the account connects the painter's family background and Christian beliefs with his choice of subjects and his place among competing schools of art. Atkinson draws on scattered writings about Overbeck and recalls studio visits extending over twenty years, giving the book the perspective of a critic who knew the artist.

Alongside descriptions of pictures and drawings, the reader finds disputes over artistic style, friendships with fellow painters, and the practical pressures of commissions and money. The correspondence with Emilie Linder shows how faith, personal attachment, and support for his work were intertwined. Readers interested in nineteenth-century religious painting can use the biography to see how Atkinson interpreted both Overbeck's character and the ideas behind his art.