The Keepers of the Kunstkammer 1690-1825 The Grodtschillings Members of the Grodtschilling family served the Kunstkammer with distinction for more than 70 years. When Bendix Grodtschilling the Elder died in 1690, he was succeeded by his son Bendix Grodtschilling the Younger (1655-1707). He had been sent abroad to prepare himself for taking over his father's position, becoming a qualified art expert and painter. Bendix Grodtschilling the Youngest (1686-1737), also an artist as well as a distinguished naturalist, followed his father and grandfather in the king's employ. His death in 1737 after 30 years of service ended the family's association with the Kunstkammer. Johan Salomon Wahl That very same year, the new keeper of the Kunstkammer, Johan Salomon Wahl (1689-1765) signed for the receipt of the entire collection. J. S. Wahl had already entered royal service as Artist to the Court in 1727. He was much in demand as a portraitist, and as a modeller he produced several busts of royalty in wax, which - clad in royal garb - were exhibited in glass cabinets in the Kunstkammer. He was in charge when the Gottorp Kunstkammer arrived in 1751. Gerhard Morell Towards the end of Wahl's time in office, in 1759, he received as his assistant the art expert and dealer Gerhard Morell (ca.1710-1771), who was intended to provide help and advice with the purchase of works of art. At the same time Morell was promised that he could succeed Wahl, which he did in 1765. Morell's greatest achievement was the establishment of the New Picture Gallery in the royal apartments in the passageway leading from the Castle to the Chancellery. In 1767 he presented the king with a hand-written catalogue of this collection. Morell subsequently acquired an assistant who was also promised the possibility of taking over the position. Lorenz and Johan Conrad Spengler Morell's assistant was the king's master-turner and conchologist Lorenz Spengler (1720-1807). After Wahl's death in 1765 the Kunstkammer had to be surveyed in preparation for the handing-over to Gerhard Morell. The task was very thorough and came to drag out over ten years - one of the delays being due to the death of Morell in 1771. Spengler was responsible for the collection until the new inventory was finished, and it was not until after its appearance in 1775 that the position of keeper was officially bestowed on him. In the 1780s his son Johan Conrad (1767-1839) was attached to the collection as his assistant. So that when the father died in 1807, the son was ideally placed to take over the position. To previous page The inventories 1690-1827