Franz Grosschedel (active 1555-1578/79), Landshut, Germany.
Franz Grosschedel was the son of the renowned armorer Wolfgang Grosschedel. He is first mentioned in 1555 as his father's agent. In 1556, Franz received citizenship of Landshut. In 1566, he became court armorer to Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria. In 1568, in addition to payments for six suits of armor from the Bavarian princes, payment was received from Maximilian II. In 1572, Franz was paid the enormous sum of 2,550 florins for armor for Maximilian II, presumably for the "Rose-leaf" set, made for the wedding of Archduke Charles II of Styria (the Emperor's brother) and Maria of Bavaria in 1571. In 1575, he was paid 600 florins for six suits of armor for the Emperor, likely for his guard. The last mention of Franz dates back to 1578-79.
Famous customers of the master:
Emperor Maximilian II
Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria
Armor of the great master you can see:
Gartenpalais Liechtenstein, Wien, Republik Österreich.
State Historical Museum, Moscow, Russia.
The Wallace Collection, London, United Kingdom.
Real Armería de Madrid, Madrid, Provincia de Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Reino de España.
Musée de l'Armée, Paris, France.
Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, United Kingdom.