German painter, part of a family of painters. He was born in Lachen, Switzerland, and was the father of Januarius Zick. He mostly worked for several bishops in Würzburg. He painted numerous altarpieces and frescoes for Bruchsal Castle, the Würzburg Residenz, as well as for monasteries in Schlehdorf, Raitenhaslach, Langhaus, Biberach, Ehingen and Amberg. Though his son Januarius Zick has received considerable attention as a German painter, Johann has been somewhat neglected. Nevertheless, Johann Zick can be considered a 'minor master', rivaling Chodowiecki in anecdotal description of contemporary daily life. Legend would have it that Zick was a cowherd whose gifts were discovered by a travelling painter. It is certain that he perfected his art in Venice, like many decorative painters of the time, who came to train in the manner of Tiepolo. In the illusionistic, false perspective painting of the German Baroque, Zick distinguished himself through the rigour of his marble buildings, coupled with a dreamlike lightness. He fully explored the tonal gradations of white, and used light to create a quasi-mystical unity in his compositions. In this manner, he worked on the decoration of Bruchsal Castle, from 1751 to 1754, prior to the work of his son. His 'White Room' is characteristic of the final manifestations of the Baroque style, before it consumed itself in its inspiration of excess and over-abundance. //