Johann Georg von Dillis

Initially he was trained for the priesthood, but by 1786 his real interest, art, was beginning to be developed, and he taught drawing both at court and to private families.

He continued in a curatorial role for the Bavarian court for much of the rest of his career; this allowed him some freedom to travel and expand his knowledge of European art.

A further trip to Italy followed in 1805, and brought him to Rome, where he met Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, who introduced him to the idea of painting in open air.

He studied the work of Simon Denis and Joseph Mallord William Turner, and encountered Washington Allston.

In 1816 he was made responsible for packing and returning to Munich from Paris art stolen from Bavaria by Napoleon.