Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller - Straddling Biedermeier and Modernity

Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller is Austria's most important nineteenth-century artist. He painted portraits, still lifes, and landscapes with equal virtuosity, creating masterpieces in all of these genres. He also painted numerous works depicting the everyday life of rural communities, exploring the changing social conditions of laborers and agricultural workers as a result of industrialization. Reproducing nature as he saw it was pivotal for Waldmuller.Long after his death he received acclaim for this from the Vienna Secessionists, who favored a similar approach. This tribute marked the start of Waldmuller's international recognition.