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Franz Xaver Winterhalter, a shining star of classical painting in the mid-19th century German academic art, shines brightly in the long river of history with his exquisite portrait skills. He is like an orchid quietly blooming in the depths of the Black Forest. Although he was born in an ordinary family - on April 20, 1805, in the village of Menzenschwand in the embrace of the Black Forest in Germany, as the sixth son of farmer and resin craftsman Fidel Winterhalter and Eva Mayer, he was destined to be extraordinary.
In that land embraced by greenery, he was immersed in the warmth and challenges of his family since he was a child. Only four of his eight brothers and sisters survived, and the tree of life quietly planted tenacious roots in his heart. It is particularly worth mentioning that his elder brother Hermann (1808-1891), who also used a paintbrush as a sword, led Franz into the palace of art like the brightest star in the night sky.

As a teenager, Franz began to carve out his artistic dream amid the bells and books of the Benedictine Monastery of St. Blasien. In 1818, at the age of thirteen, he embarked on the road of pursuing art with endless love and longing for painting, traveling in the ocean of printmaking and painting, and finally found the beacon of knowledge at the Monaco Academy.
In 1823, the call of Munich attracted him like a magnet, and young Franz resolutely went there in pursuit of a broader stage. As time passed, in 1828, he won the favor of Sophie Margravine of Baden, Duchess of Karlsruhe (Swedish Princess Sophie Wilhelmine), with his outstanding talent, and became her royal painter, taking a solid step in his artistic career.

The turning point of his fate came in 1832, when he embarked on a trip to Italy and, with the generous support of Grand Duke Leopold of Baden, Franz's artistic vision was infinitely expanded. When he returned, he was not only an artist with outstanding painting skills, but also an indispensable full-time painter in the Grand Duchy, with great honor.
Since then, Franz Xaver Winterhalter's name has been heard in major European courts, from the Palace of Versailles of French King Louis Philippe to Buckingham Palace of British Queen Victoria, and the royal palaces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Belgium. He is well-known for his portraits of kings and queens, and each of his works accurately captures the splendor of the times and freezes it forever.

Finally, he chose to settle down in Karlsruhe, the land that had endowed him with countless honors, and enjoy his old age. However, the end of his life was filled with reluctance and regret. In the summer of 1873, while he was intoxicated by artistic inspiration during his trip to Frankfurt, typhus quietly attacked him. On July 8, this great artist passed away at the age of 68, leaving behind endless memories and admiration for future generations.
Franz Xaver Winterhalter's life is a symphony of artistic pursuit and life struggle. Each of his works is an affectionate retention of beautiful moments and an endless exploration of eternal beauty.

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