Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (; 15 January 1793 – 23 August 1865) was an Austrian painter and writer. Waldmüller was one of the most important Austrian painters of the Biedermeier period.

Career

In 1807, Waldmüller attended the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. He lived in Bratislava and, in 1811, he worked as a teacher of arts for the children of Count Gyulay in Croatia. He returned to the Academy of Vienna and studied portrait painting. In 1814 he married the singer Katharina Weidner, and subsequently went on tour with her, working as a set designer.

In 1817, Waldmüller returned to Vienna and spent much time copying the works of old masters and painting portraits, genre subjects, and still-life. In 1823 he made a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven. Waldmüller later became interested in nature and started painting landscapes, which in their loving attention to detail illustrate Waldmuller's belief that the close study of nature should be the basis of painting. These are his most notable works, in which his sense of colour and knowledge of nature helped him to achieve masterly skill.

In 1819, Waldmüller became professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, but was in disputes with the Viennese establishment, most notably for his comments on the system of the academy, where he wanted to establish a focus of the study on nature. His views were in opposition to the official doctrines of ideal art promulgated by the Vienna Academy, and after he had published his works on art education, he was forced to retire in 1857. By 1863 he had been accepted back into the art circles of Vienna, and was knighted in 1865.Richard Rhoda Fine Art, '
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller
', (accessed 22 July 2014)

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller was one of the most important Austrian painters of the Biedermeier period. Whether it was the conquest of the landscape and thus the convincing rendering of closeness or distance, the accurate characterisation of the human face, the detailed and refined description of textures, or the depiction of rural everyday life: his works – brilliant, explanatory, moralising, and socially critical – influenced a whole generation of artists. Being an advocate of natural observation and plein air painting, as well as a critic of academic painting, Waldmüller was far ahead of his time.

Waldmuller died on 23 August 1865 in Hinterbrühl, Austria.

Nazi-looted art

Waldmüller was one of Adolf Hitler's favorite artists. Under the Nazis, 1933–1945, many artworks by Waldmüller were seized from Jewish collectors and several were channeled to Hitler's Führer Museum in Linz. Claims for restitution of looted Wadlmüller artworks include:

* ''Children on Their Way Home from School'' was stolen from Amalie Redlich in Nazi Austria.
* ''Little Count Esterhazy was looted from the Bloch-Bauer collection''.
* "Bildnis der Familie Gierster" was stolen from Franz and Melania Popper.
* ''Wiedergenesene'' was taken from Hermann Eissler.
* Irma and Oscar Lowenstein for three Walmüllers seized under the anti-Jewish Nuremberg Laws for Hitler's planned Linz museum: ''The Good-Natured Child''; ''Preparing the Celebration of the Wine Harvest'', and ''The Grandparents’ Visit''.

Gallery

File:Waldmüller - Venezianischer Obstverkäufer.jpeg, Venetian fruit seller (1826)
File:Ferdinand-Georg-Waldmüller-1828.jpg, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller—self-portrait, detail (1828; age 35)
File:1836 Waldmueller Bildnis Louise Mayer anagoria.JPG, ''Louise Mayer'' (1836)
File:1838 Waldmüller Blick auf Ischl anagoria.JPG, View of Ischl (1838)
File:1839 Waldmüller Am Allerseelentag anagoria.JPG, On All Souls' Day (1839)
File:Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller 004.jpg, Dachstein (1839)
File:Waldmüller - Mühle am Ausfluss des Königssees.jpeg, Waterfall (1840)
File:Waldmüller - Junge Dame bei der Toilette.jpeg, ''Young Lady'' (1840)
File:1840 Waldmüller Blumenstrauß mit Silbergefäßen und antiker Vase anagoria.JPG, Still life with bouquet, silver vessels and antique vase (1840)
File:1841 Waldmueller Nach der Schule anagoria.JPG, After school (1841)
File:Waldmüller - Emanuel Ritter von Neuwall.jpeg, Emanuel Ritter von Neuwall (1841)
File:Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller - Stillleben mit Austern, Fischen und Südfrüchten - 1842.jpg, ''Still life with oysters, fish and exotic fruit'' (1842)
File:Waldmüller, Ferdinand Georg - Rosen - 1843.jpg, ''Roses'' (1843)
File:Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller Sunny Day, 1848.jpg, Sunny Day (1848)
File:Ferdinand Georg Waldmueller - Der Liebesbrief sRGB.jpg, ''The love letter'' (1849)
File:Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller - Am Fronleichnamsmorgen (1857).jpg, Am Fronleichnamsmorgen (1857)
File:1858 Waldmueller Kinder im Walde anagoria.JPG, Children in a forest (1858)
File:1859 Waldmueller Return from the Church Fair anagoria.jpg, Return from the Church Fair (1859)
File:Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller - Die Erwartete.jpg, ''Die Erwartete'' (''The Expected''; 1860). This particular painting has been the subject of speculation among time travel enthusiasts who have claimed that the woman in the painting is holding an iPhone or similar example of modern technology. Art historians have pointed out that it is, in fact, a small prayer book common to the era.
File:1864 Waldmueller Vorfruehling Wiener Wald anagoria.JPG, Early spring in Vienna forest (1864)

See also

*List of Orientalist artists
*Orientalism

References

Bibliography

*

External links

Biography, Literature and Works by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waldmuller, Ferdinand Georg
1793 births
1865 deaths
19th-century Austrian painters
19th-century Austrian male artists
Austrian male painters
Austrian landscape painters
Orientalist painters
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alumni
Biedermeier painters
Nazi-looted art