Meadow

Olga Wisinger-Florian prints are full of gardens, flowers and sunlit country paths. She was a leading painter of Austrian "Mood Impressionism", and her landscapes and flower pieces were bought by collectors including Emperor Franz Joseph I. Her later colors were so strong that they point ahead to Expressionism. This collection gathers art prints of her autumn avenues, blooming orchards, farm gardens, poppies and pansies, and views from Venice to the Riviera.

About Olga Wisinger-Florian

Olga Wisinger-Florian was born in Vienna on 1 November 1844 and spent her life there. She took private art lessons from the age of 19 but, unhappy with her progress, trained instead as a concert pianist with Julius Epstein. She performed with some success until a hand injury ended her piano career in the early 1870s.

Around the age of 30 she returned to painting. She studied with August Schaeffer and, from 1880, with the landscape painter Emil Jakob Schindler, traveling with him on painting trips. In 1881 she had her first solo exhibition at the Vienna Künstlerhaus, and she later showed often at the Vienna Secession.

Her work at the world's fairs in Paris and Chicago, where she exhibited in 1893, brought her international acclaim. She was a co-founder of the women's exhibiting group the Eight Women Artists, active in the women's and peace movements, and in 1905 received the Great Gold State Medal. She died at Grafenegg on 27 February 1926 and lies in an honorary grave in Vienna's Central Cemetery.

Style and Subjects

Her early landscapes belong to Austrian Mood Impressionism, the circle around Schindler that set out to capture atmosphere and feeling in nature. Tree-lined avenues, gardens and fields were among her favorite motifs. After she broke with Schindler in 1884, her landscapes grew more realistic.

In her later work the color becomes bold and glowing, with reds, oranges and violets that already look Expressionist in the 1890s. Flowers were a lifelong subject, from poppies and pansies to orchards in blossom, along with interiors, parks and travel scenes from Venice, the Adriatic and the Riviera.

Famous Works

• Mill at Goisern (1880). An early landscape from the Salzkammergut, painted in her years with Schindler.
• A Girl in the Garden (1881). A sunlit garden scene from the start of her career.
• Cabbage Field (1884). A rural study from the year she left Schindler's circle.
• The Fish Market in Venice (1892). A lively market scene from her travels in Italy.
• Falling Leaves (1899), Belvedere, Vienna. An autumn avenue thick with golden leaves.
• A Village Road in the Summer Midday Sun (1899). A bright country lane in strong summer light.

Decorating with Wisinger-Florian Prints

Her flower pieces and garden scenes are made for kitchens, breakfast rooms and bedrooms. Poppies, pansies and blossoming apple trees add warm, cheerful color, and look lovely in light wood or gilt frames.

The autumn avenues and park paths bring depth and a sense of calm to a hallway, living room or study, especially in a home with warm, earthy colors. Her coastal views from the Adriatic and the North Sea suit a bathroom or guest room.

FAQ

What art movement was Olga Wisinger-Florian part of?

She was an Austrian Impressionist and a leading figure of "Stimmungsimpressionismus", or Mood Impressionism, a loose group of Austrian landscape painters around Emil Jakob Schindler.

What is Olga Wisinger-Florian's most famous painting?

Falling Leaves (1899) in the Belvedere in Vienna is one of her best-known works. Her views of tree-lined avenues and flower gardens are especially admired.

Where can I see her original paintings?

The Belvedere in Vienna holds her work, and she features in exhibitions of Viennese flower painting. Many of her pictures are in Austrian collections.

How can you recognize a Wisinger-Florian painting?

Look for tree-lined paths, gardens and flowers painted with loose brushwork and, in later works, strong reds, oranges and violets. Her paintings often feel warm and full of light.

Was Olga Wisinger-Florian a musician?

Yes. Before she became a painter she trained with Julius Epstein and performed as a concert pianist until a hand injury forced her to stop. She only turned to painting full-time at around 30.

Related Artists

• Emil Jakob Schindler — her teacher and the leading Austrian Mood Impressionist
• Tina Blau — fellow Viennese landscape painter of the Mood Impressionist circle
• Marie Egner — another of Schindler's students and a fellow flower and garden painter
• Carl Moll — Schindler's pupil and a Vienna Secession painter
• Theodor von Hörmann — Austrian landscape painter of the same generation