Education
In 1840, he began his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, where he studied history painting under Bernhard von Neher, who steered him towards religious themes.
In 1840, he began his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, where he studied history painting under Bernhard von Neher, who steered him towards religious themes.
Grünenwald was the eighth child of a family who worked a small farm. In 1853, he moved to Munich, where he worked with Anton Braith, Albert Kappis and Carl Spitzweg, among others Grünenwald received numerous public contracts and, until 1881, participated in many exhibitions in Dresden, Berlin and the Munich Glaspalast.
He created most of his best-known works in Munich and concentrated on genre painting.
He was head of the drawing department there from 1877 until his death. Among his students were Karl Bauer, Georg Jauss und Hermann Pleuer.
Unfortunately, Grünenwald"s work later fell into oblivion, although many of his paintings were widely distributed as steel engravings.
As a member of the "Society for Christian Art in the Evangelical Church of Württemberg" he had a major influence on contemporary religious art