Sonntagruhe

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller prints bring the sunlit lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut, the old oaks of Vienna's Prater and the village life of Biedermeier Austria into your home. Waldmüller was one of the most important Austrian painters of the period, a champion of painting directly from nature. Our collection of fine art prints covers his alpine landscapes, portraits, still lifes and lively scenes of country families.

About Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller was born in Vienna on 15 January 1793. He attended the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts irregularly from 1807, worked as a drawing teacher for the children of Count Gyulay in Zagreb, and in 1814 married the opera singer Katharina Weidner, touring with her and painting theatre scenery. Back in Vienna from 1817 he copied old masters and built a career painting portraits, genre scenes and still lifes. In 1823 he painted one of the best-known portraits of Ludwig van Beethoven.

His commission to paint Emperor Franz I in 1827 brought him many aristocratic sitters. In 1829 he became curator of the Academy's picture gallery with the title of professor. He spent his summers at Bad Ischl and painted the lakes and peaks of the Salzkammergut and the meadows of Vienna's Prater, and travelled several times to Italy.

Waldmüller believed close study of nature should be the basis of painting, which put him in conflict with the Academy's teaching of ideal art. He lost his Academy studio in 1850 and was suspended in 1857 after publishing his views on art education. He went on to exhibit at Buckingham Palace in 1856 and in London in 1862, was rehabilitated by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1864 and knighted in 1865. His pupils included Hans Canon and Anton Romako. He died in Hinterbrühl near Vienna on 23 August 1865.

Style and Subjects

Waldmüller's paintings are bright, clear and full of sunlight. In his landscapes every leaf, rock and cloud is sharply described, and light falls with almost startling intensity across meadows and mountainsides. He was an early advocate of painting outdoors, and his handling of light pointed toward later developments.

His village scenes show children, families, beggars and festivals, often with a gentle moral or a note of social criticism. His portraits are precise and honest, with fine attention to fabrics, lace and faces.

Famous Works

• Portrait of the Mother of Captain von Stierle-Holzmeister (c. 1819), Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin. A sharply observed early portrait.
• Prater Landscape (1830), Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin. Old trees in Vienna's great park, painted with close attention to nature.
• Das Höllengebirge bei Ischl (1834), Belvedere, Vienna. A mountain view from his summers in the Salzkammergut.
• Der Dachstein vom Sophien-Doppelblick bei Ischl (1835), Belvedere, Vienna. The Dachstein massif in clear alpine light.
• Wolfgangsee (1835), Belvedere, Vienna. The lake under a bright summer sky.
• Ansicht des Dachsteins mit dem Hallstättersee (1838), Wien Museum, Vienna. A sweeping view of the Dachstein and Lake Hallstatt.
• After School (1841), Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin. Children spilling out of school into the sunshine.
• Return from the Church Fair (1859), Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin. Villagers heading home from a festival.

Decorating with Waldmüller Prints

Waldmüller's alpine landscapes are perfect for a living room, study or mountain-style home. Lakes such as the Wolfgangsee and Hallstatt bring calm and clear light to a bedroom, and suit both traditional and Scandinavian interiors with natural wood.

His flower and fruit still lifes, like Rosenstrauß am Fenster, suit a kitchen or dining room, and his portraits of elegant Viennese women work well in a hallway or sitting room.

FAQ

What art movement was Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller part of?

He was one of the most important Austrian painters of the Biedermeier period, the age of middle-class art and domestic subjects between 1815 and 1848.

What is Waldmüller known for?

He is known for his sunlit landscapes of the Salzkammergut and the Vienna Prater, his precise portraits and his scenes of country life. He also argued that artists should learn from nature rather than by copying old masters.

Did Waldmüller paint Beethoven?

Yes. In 1823 he painted a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven, commissioned by the publisher Breitkopf & Härtel, which became one of the best-known images of the composer.

Where can I see Waldmüller's paintings?

The Belvedere and the Wien Museum in Vienna hold the largest collections. Others are in the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Neue Pinakothek in Munich and the Liechtenstein Museum.

Related Artists

• Anton Romako: one of his most important pupils
• Friedrich von Amerling: leading Viennese portrait painter of the Biedermeier era
• Rudolf von Alt: Viennese painter of landscapes and city views in the same years
• Carl Spitzweg: German painter of Biedermeier everyday life
• Josef Danhauser: Viennese Biedermeier genre painter