Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12

Johannes oertel, painter or 'lne ROCK
of Ages and many other pictures deal
ing with religious themes, died at the
home of his son, J. +. Oertel. in Falls
Church, Va. Thursday night. Mr.. Oertel
was in his eighty-eighth year.
Thousands of persons in this country
and abroad who are familiar with THE
Rock of Ages were not aware that
the artist who created it was still living,
or that he lived in a small Virginia town
not far from the National Capital, where
he worked ceaselessly on religious pic
lures For a number of years the old
painter had made his home there with
his son. He spent the greater part of his
time in his studio, brush in hand, going
there early in the morning and working
until late in the day
1t was the aim OF Mr. Oertel's life
to rescue religious art from the neglect
into which it had fallen and he sacri-
feed all other ambitions, preferring to
work in obscurity rather than to aban-
don this object.
Born in Germany.
Mr.. Oertel was born in 1923 at Fuerth,
little German town just outside Nurem-
berg. the ancient center of German art
He early developed a talent for painting
and for carving. and all of his sur
roundings aided him in his efforts to
learn. Nuremberg was a medieval city
when Mr.. Oerte was a boy and the
home of arts and crafts just as it had
been in the days If it's famous painter,
Albrecht Dderer.
Ensing Mueller, d we'll known painter,
became the teacher of Oertel and was his
friend for years. The work of the old
religious painters and of the Greeks were
copied by young Oertel and this early
training left a lasting impression. He
painted two large canvaseS at an early
age, which We're of heroic proportions
one of the battle of Thermopylae, and
the other an incident in the life of Alex
ander the Great.
At the age of twenty-five Mr.. Oertel
came to America in company with his
master. Ensing-Mueller, and other frienus.
He established himself at Newark, n. j.,
where he taught art for several years. He
married, in 1851. Julia Adelaide Torrey.
his first pupil after landing in America.
Affiliated With Art Union.
Mr. Oertel affiliated with the New
York Art Union, contributing a number
of pictures, which are now hanging in
private collections. One of these, 1.-THE
Captive SOUL" attracted no little atten-
ton, and is now in the rooms of the
Historical Society Buffalo, n. Y Dur
ing his first years he did much work in
other arts than painting. making de-
signs for the gold medals of the Crystal
Palace Exposition, his work being Sc
lected over that of eighty other con-
testants. Besides this, he engraved many
of he hor MIR taS @ O
and supplied the designs for the stained
glass that forms the ceiling of the House
of Representatives in the Capitol at
Washington.
During the civil war he spent several
months with Gen. Burnside making stud
les for battle pieces. Two of the pic
lures resulting from this experience were
sold to Sir Morton Peters, the English
connoisseur.
Shortly after the close of the war, while
living in Westerly, K. l., Mr.. Oertel con-
ceiveo the idea of his famous picture.
The Rock of Ages" When exhibited in
New York this picture attracted universal
attention and was sold during the first
days OF the exhibit. The engravings made
from the original mad tremendous sale
for work of the kind. netting. it is said.
the publisher $4,000, a very small share
OF which came to the artist. 1t was at
Westerly, too, that he became a lay
reader in the Episcopal Church. receiving
ordination as deacon in 1867 and a
priest in 1868.
MIR. Oertel conceived an idea of paint
ing q series OF canvaseS representing the
scheme of the redemption as set forth in
the Scriptures. But it was not until his
seyenty-fifth year that lie found time ANA
opportunity to begin this great work.
THIS series is now the property of the
University OF the South, at Sewanae,
Tenn, and consists of four very large can
vases, containing more than 800 figures.
some of them life size.
Mr.. Oertel was a wood carver of repute.
The beautiful reredos in the Church of
the Incarnation here and ,.ie altar in s.
Stephens Church are among the exam
pies of his skill in this art