Background
Retzsch was born in the Saxon capital Dresden.
Retzsch was born in the Saxon capital Dresden.
He joined the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in 1798 under Cajetan Toscani and Józef Grassi, later working autodidactically, copying the famous pictures of the Gemäldegalerie, among them a copy of the Sixtinian Madonna. The Cotta publishing house commissioned illustrations for Johann Wolfgang Goethe"s Faust (26 plates), which made him financially independent. He also did oil paintings on classical subjects, and portraits.
Retzsch died in Oberlössnitz/Radebeul.
He was made a member of the Academy in 1817 and professor in 1824. As a winemaker, he was a member of the Saxon wine association from 1799 onwards.