Pius Ferdinand Messerschmitt

Pius Ferdinand Messerschmitt (30 May 1858, in Bamberg – 29 October 1915, in Munich) was a German painter, illustrator and watercolorist; noted for genre and historical scenes, most of which include horses.

He completed his education there at the Royal Arts and Crafts School and went to work for his family, trading in grain and produce, although he continued to paint in his spare time.

As a result, he decided to pursue art professionally and enrolled at the Academy, where he studied with Gabriel von Hackl and Gyula Benczúr.

In 1894, he married Else Amalie Fellerer (1872-1919), whose father was a Hofrat at the Bavarian court, and opened his own studio.

He became a Professor at the Munich Academy in 1912 and, in 1914, he was named Secretary of the "Allgemeinen Deutschen Künstler Gruppe".