Matthäus Gundelach
German, 1566–1653
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German painter, active in Prague. He was the son of the painter Hans Gundelach. The young Gundelach was in Prague by his mid-twenties where he signed and dated a drawing Minerva and Ceres (1593). It is apparent from the handful of early copies by Gundelach of works by Bartholomäus Spranger that he was a great admirer of the older Antwerp-born master, but he quickly became closely associated with Joseph Heintz, court painter for Emperor Rudolph II. It has been suggested that Gundelach was a pupil of Heintz as he completed at least one work by him, and is recorded as having copied his drawings.
Upon Heintz's death in 1609, Gundelach took his place as imperial Kammermaler to the Emperor, inherited his studio, married his widow Regina, and acted as guardian to Heintz's children. He remained in the service of Emperor Matthias ca. 1612-1615, then was employed by the Duke of Württemberg in Stuttgart. He finally settled in Augsburg in 1617.
In Augsburg he executed paintings for the Rathaus and a number of churches in 1622-1623. He was member of Augsburg's Great Council between 1632and 1649. Designed engravings that were executed by Wolfgang (1581-1662) and Lucas (1579-1637) Kilian. He enjoyed an active and varied career as a painter and designer of prints until his death in 1653.
Gundelach was a painter dedicated to the Rudolfine style as epitomized by Joseph Heintz.