Eduard Julius Friedrich Bendemann

The son of a Berlin Jewish banker and his wife, Eduard Julius Friedrich Bendemann converted to Protestantism as a young man. He gained early recognition for paintings of Jewish historical scenes, notably Jews Mourning in Exile (1832) and Jeremiah at the Destruction of Jerusalem (1836). Bendemann taught at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts from 1839 until 1855, during which time he painted a series of monumental frescoes of historical figures and events for the Royal Palace. He served as director of the Düsseldorf Academy from 1859 to 1867, and in his later years returned to Old Testament themes as well as commissioned portraits.