Michael Sigismund Frank Catholic artist and rediscoverer of the
lost art of glass-painting; b. 1 June, 1770, at Nuremberg ; d.
at Munich, 16 January, 1847. His father was a dealer in
provisions, living in comfortable circumstances, who destined
his boy to become his successor in business. But these plans
were thwarted by Sigismund's passionate fondness for art. The
mother, without her hustand's knowledge, had him instructed in
drawing in the local academy, an institution of moderate merit.
Young Frank's progress was so marked as to astonish his friends.
Having lost his father in early youth, Frank was apprenticed to
his godfather Neubert, who carried on at Nuremberg the business
of lacquering and decorating wooden boxes and caskets. His
progress in this work was rapid, but he stayed less than a year
with Neubert. After returning to the house of his mother, who
had married a second time, he once more enthusiastically devoted
himself to the study of drawing, meantime painting boxes for
other manufacturers at Nu