Christoph Heinrich Kniep

1755 Hildesheim – 1825 Naples

In 1785 Christoph Heinrich Kniep, a painter and draughtsman from Hildesheim, settled for good in Naples. There he joined the circle around Jakob Philipp Hackert and Johann Heinrich Tischbein, who recommended him to Goethe as a travelling companion. Although many other German artists left the city when the Kingdom of Naples came under French rule in Napoleon Bonaparte’s time, Kniep decided to remain. He made a living by selling his works to local clients and to travellers on
the Grand Tour.