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Simon Meister (1796-1844) painted this portrait of the Werbrun Family (1834). We have been unable to find any information on the family, despite the fact that the image appears on many websites. We see bright colors, common before the Victorian era. There are five children, three girls and two boys about 5-14 years old. We see ruffs and decorative collars. The girls wear colorful dresses as does the younger boy. The older boy wears a suit showing the influence of the waning skeleton suit. They may be from Koblenz, but more likely Cologne. Simon was born in Koblenz, just as the Napoleonic Wars were about to kick off (1796). Kobenz is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) south of Cologne at the confluence with he Moselle. His father was a saddler. There is little information about his childhood and education, but is likely that he had a reasonably comfortable childhood. He presumably learned his father's trade, but was interested in drawing. He may have demonstrated some talent. His parents probably had the money for inexpensive drawing lessons in Koblenz. The fact that Simon's half-brother Nikolas Meiste [de] and his son Ernst Meister were also painters. suggest that the parents were interested in and supportive despite their working-class status. Somehow Simon came to the attention of Prussian King Frederick William III. It is not clear how a saddlers could do this. The King granted him a scholarship to study painting in Paris. He studied painting with Horace Vernet. Meister returned to Koblenz (1828) where he married He moved with his family to Cologne (about 1833). Meister painted portraits, but his attempts to obtain commissions from the Prussian royal family were not very successful. He also painted battle scenes and animal fights.
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