Jugendliches Selbstbildnis

1765

Invitation to Dresden: Hagedorn asks him to apply

Back in Winterthur and Zurich in 1765, he receives from Christian Ludwig von Hagedorn, newly appointed director of the recently established Dresden Art Academy, an invitation to apply for a post. Graff hesitates, thinking himself not good enough for the princely court of Saxony.

16 January 1766

A self-portrait wins Hagedorn: a contract in a day

To give Hagedorn an impression of his talent he sends him a self-portrait; it arrives in Dresden on 16 January 1766 and is so well received that only a day later Hagedorn draws up Graff’s employment contract.

7 April 1766

Arrives in Dresden as court painter

On 7 April 1766 he arrives in Dresden, where he is appointed court painter and teacher of portrait painting at the academy. He keeps the academy post for life, although he gets better-paid offers from other academies; his pupils include Emma Körner, Philipp Otto Runge and Karl Ludwig Kaaz.