Biography
Robert
Heuel
Born 1857 in Sondern, Germany
Died 1931 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Robert Heuel was the oldest of seven children. In 1869, when Heuel was twelve, his parents died within a short time of each other. Raised by relatives, he renounced his inheritance – a farm in Imminghausen, Germany – so he could become a painter. He received his training in Dusseldorf, Antwerp, Paris and Venice.
Heuel came to the United States around 1880 and by 1884 was associated with William Ullmer in the firm of Heuel and Ullmer, Artists.
He returned to Europe for more study in Paris in 1885-86. In 1887 he met his wife, Ilda Bussinelli, in Venice, Italy. They married in 1888 and returned to Milwaukee. His home and studio were on East Reservoir Avenue.
Heuel was mostly known as a respected portrait painter, but he also did landscapes. One of his landscapes, 14 Helpers in Time of Need, was donated to his homeland congregation, in Rhode, for the small chapel on the Eben. He was also known for doing quality copies of master paintings. Robert Heuel also painted The Stations of the Cross and a huge altarpiece for the old St. Francis Church on Third and Reservoir in Milwaukee. The church has since been torn down.
Selected Group Exhibitions
1996 Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Neenah, Wisconsin, Collecting the Art of Wisconsin: The Early Years
© 10/22/2007 Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, Wisconsin April 13, 2010