The Würzburg art dealer Franz Xaver Müller passed away

The art dealer Franz Xaver Müller from Würzburg died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 81. Active and creative as he always was, he worked until the very last hour in his art shop on Kardinal-Fauhaber-Platz. His wife Brigitte with family, many friends and companions mourn him.

Has worked as an art dealer for over 60 years

With Franz Xaver Müller, who had been active in his industry for over 60 years, Würzburg lost a great art connoisseur and supporter of modern painting. For his 80th birthday, Andrea Brandl, director of the Kunsthalle Schweinfurt, had praised Müller as a “personality of cultural life in Franconia”, “who is second to none”.

Müller’s art shop is the oldest of its kind in Würzburg, “but always modern,” as Müller emphasized during his lifetime. In the past year the owner had celebrated the 125th anniversary with an exhibition of pictures of the famous “young wild ones” Elvira Bach from Berlin.

The foundation for the company was laid by Müller’s grandfather, who came to Würzburg from Augsburg on the Walz as a glazier and had bought the Hofglaserei Winter on the former Maxstraße here.

Art dealership taken over by the father

His grandson Franz Xaver Müller first learned carpentry after leaving school. Then his parents sent him to an art shop in Düsseldorf to learn the picture frame. He rose to become managing director there at a young age. In 1961 he became Germany’s youngest master glazier at the glass specialist school in Hamburg.

Then Franz Xaver Müller returned to his father Leonhard Müller’s art store, which he took over at the end of the 1980s. He was active here until the very end. He received support from his stepson Frank Schmidt.

There are countless encounters that Müller has had with artists and collectors over the years. When he was young he played tennis with white and blue, then he was wooed to rowing. At the Würzburg rowing company in Bavaria, he met Hermann Gerlinger, one of the largest German art collectors.

Paintings from the region collected

But Müller himself also became a large collector of paintings by well-known artists. He especially liked pictures from the region. His special passion was the artistic frame of the pictures.

Franz Xaver Müller has also been an active member of the Roßperger Ritter vom Schenken since 2004. The cultural association mourns the loss of its long-time master of ceremonies. President Norbert Bauriedel praised Müller as a highly valued member. With his art expertise, he contributed significantly to the revision of the club history around the founders, the Würzburg artists Gebrüder Schistl.

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• Wurzburg

• Herbert Kriener

• Andrea Brandl

• parents

• grandson

• Familys

• Frank Schmidt

• Franconia (Bavaria)

• Franz Xaver Müller

• painting

• Kunsthalle Schweinfurt

• Art dealer

• Art collector

• Artists

• painting

• Stepsons

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