A leading figure in the school of German landscape painting during the mid 1800’s, Gustavus Grunewald brought his intensely European style of painting to the United States, influencing current and future generations of American painters. A native of the German region of Moravia, Grunewald immigrated to the United States in 1831. He arrived in Bethlehem two years later in 1833.
During his years in Bethlehem, Grunewald served as an art instructor at the Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies, by this time a nationally renowned institution. Grunewald, a devout Moravian, lived in Bethlehem for the majority of his life, elevating the visual art tradition of a city long recognized for its engagement in the arts.
