Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz

Who was Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz?

Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz was a German sculptor.

Launitz was born a Baltic German in Grobin, Courland, which was then part of the Russian Empire. He was raised in Vechelde in the Duchy of Brunswick in 1809 after the death of his parents. In 1815 he began studying jurisprudence at the University of Göttingen. He became more interested in art, however, and visited an artists colony in Rome. A student of Bertel Thorvaldsen, Launitz's first independent work was an 1820 relief of his brother, who had died during the Battle of Leipzig.

Launitz spent most of his adult life in Frankfurt. He taught at the Städel in Frankfurt and the art academy in Düsseldorf. Launitz is buried in the Hauptfriedhof Frankfurt.