German poet, dramatist and painter from the Electoral Palatinate, is best known for his slightly sentimental prose idylls on country life. In 1774-1775, he settled in Mannheim, where he soon acquired a reputation as a poet. Before he left Mannheim he had tried his hand at literature, under the influence of the Sturm und Drang movement. In 1775, he published several idylls. In 1777 he was appointed court painter.
