Johan Georg Geitel
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Johan Georg Geitel (1683–1771), also Johann or Hans Jürgen Geitell, Geittel or Geittell, was a German-born portrait and religious painter who was the leading portraitist in Turku for several decades. Born in the Holy Roman Empire, he settled in Finland around 1750 and taught drawing at the Royal Academy of Turku from 1758 to 1763. He also painted altarpieces for several churches in the region.
Geitel was born in Geitelde, a village near Wolfenbüttel in Braunschweig, Germany. He moved to Finland around 1750, likely at the encouragement of his older brother Henrik Levin Geitell (1680–1760), who had entered Swedish service and was living in the Turku region at the time of his death.[1]
When Geitel relocated to Turku, the painters Claes Lang and Jonas Bergman protested, claiming there was not enough work for all of them. The local registrar's office granted Geitel permission for only church historical paintings, though he later became the leading portraitist in the city. He taught drawing at the Royal Academy of Turku from 1758 to 1763, and from 1766 until his death held the title of portrait painter (konterfejare). He died in Turku in 1771 at the age of 88.[1]
