Hans Krell, Krehl, Kreil

Place: Crailsheim Or Ansbach

Death: 1565

Biography:

Early Life and Career

Hans Krell, also known as Krehl or Kreil, was a German painter of the Renaissance, mainly known as a portrait painter. He is thought to have been born in Crailsheim or Ansbach, and died in Leipzig. Krell started his career as court painter of George the Pious, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach in Ansbach. He then entered into the service of King Louis II of Hungary in Prague and Buda, where he was employed as court portraitist in the years 1522–1526.

Notable Works and Contributions

Krell is credited by Dieter Koepplin as the author of a painting (Battle of Orsha) long associated with Lucas Cranach the Elder, painted around 1524–1530. The painting, today displayed in the National Museum in Warsaw, depicts the battle which was fought on 8 September 1514 between the allied forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland on one side and the army of the Grand Duchy of Moscow on the other. Krell's connections with the Jagiellonian dynasty patrons (including king of Hungary) and rulers of Prussia makes this attribution probable.

Artistic Style and Legacy

Krell was known as the Fürstenmaler (Painter of Princes) in service of the German Princes – Albrecht of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Duke in Prussia, Hedwig Jagiellon, Electress of Brandenburg and the Elector Augustus of Saxony. His paintings of Saxon princes in the ceremonial hall and the council chamber of the Old Town Hall in Leipzig were continually being completed. Krell's work can be found in various museums, including the Kunstsammlungen Graf von Schönborn Pommersfelden in Germany.

• Notable paintings: Portrait of Princess Emilia of Saxony
• Influenced by: Lucas Cranach the Elder
• Similar artists: Ruprecht Hauer

For more information about Hans Krell and his work, visit Hans Krell, Krehl, Kreil on Wikioo.org or Hans Krell on Wikipedia.