Overview
Alexander Maximilian Seitz was born into an artistic dynasty of engravers, sculptors, decorative artists, and painters. Veritably all five of Johann Baptist Seitz’ sons and numerous grandchildren entered artistic professions. For his part, Alexander Maximilian Seitz was admitted to the Munich Academy of Fine Arts at the age of 12, where he studied under Heinrich Maria von Hess and Peter von Cornelius. An early painting, Joseph and His Brethren, received notable recognition.
In 1832, he received a commission from von Hess to assist Cornelius with the frescos for All Saints Court Church, Munich. Upon completing the frescos, Seitz traveled with Cornelius to Rome and swiftly joined the Nazarene movement. Instantly, he and Friedrich Overbeck sparked an affectionate rapport. From then on, he lived almost entirely in Rome as a faithful second-generation leader of the Nazarene movement, committed preeminently to depicting Biblical subjects and scenes. In 1844 at Castel Gandolfo, he assisted Overbeck in executing the frescoes of the Evangelists and Apostles, and in subsequent years completed frescos in the Villa Torlonia in Frascati and the 6th chapel of Trinità dei Monti in Rome, where he painted The Return of the Prodigal Son. In 1853, he painted a Triptych depicting the Resurrected Christ with Agnes, Mary, John and Elisabeth, and the Parables of Christ. The Angel Appearing to Joachim was completed in 1866.
After Overbeck's death, Seitz, with help from his son, Ludwig Seitz, spent 12 years completing frescoes in the Cathedral Basilica of St Peters at Diakovár in Croatia, partially according to Overbeck’s drawings, and with compositions of Seitz’s own. He died in Rome in 1888.