Friedrich von Amerling

pseudonym: -

birth data

date of birth: 1803

place of birth: Wien

death data

date of death: 1887

death: ebenda

biography

The Austrian portrait painter Friedrich von Amerling was born in 1803 in Spittelberg. In 1815 he started his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and in 1824 he moved to the Academy in Prague where he became a student of Joseph Bergler the Junger. During his stay in London in 1827 and 1828 he learned from the portrait painter Thomas Lawrence. This was followed by a stay in Paris, where he was taught by the painter Horace Vernet. After his return home, Friedrich von Amerling became one of the most respected portraitists of the Viennese bourgeoisie and the Austrian imperial family. The warm colour and the high precision are particularly indicative of his portraits of the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. The painter masterfully succeeded in capturing the characteristics and self-image of the portrayed, giving an insight into the society of the Austrian pre-March era. In 1829 Amerling was awarded the Reichel Prize of the Academy of Vienna. While studying in Rome, the Rhineland, the Netherlands, Greece, Egypt and Palestine, he continued his studies and expanded his knowledge. The painter was raised to the nobility in 1878 and has since been known as Friedrich Ritter von Amerling. He died in Vienna in 1887.