Jacob Maentel (1763-1863)
Born in Germany in 1763, Jacob Maentel (sometimes spelled Mantel) died in New Harmony, Indiana one hundred years later. He came to the new American republic sometime before 1810 when he is known to have been working in Pennsylvania.
From about 1810 to 1825 Maentel worked as a watercolor portraitist, usually working on paper averaging 12″ by 10″ in size and drawing his subjects in ink and then filling them with watercolors. During this period his subjects are almost always shown in full-length profiles with proud bearings and good facial and clothing details. Often the subject is placed in an interior scene, or if not, on a rounded hillock. His portraits are usually unsigned, but his name has been found on some fraktur work.
After about 1825 Maentel changed his style to full-face portraits and five years later moved to west to Indiana.