Anton Einsle (1801 - 1871)

Anton Einsle, in great demand as a portraitist by the Austrian aristocracy, church dignitaries and Viennese high society, was appointed court painter in 1838. His clients admired his finely elaborated paintings, which showed the subject in a restrained, extremely lifelike and distinguished manner. Aged 13, Einsle began to study engraving at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. From 1820 he devoted himself to painting, and studied history painting from 1821 to 1828 with teachers including Josef Redl. His first portrait and miniature commissions in oils date from 1827. That same year, he went to Prague, then in 1832 to Budapest, before returning to Vienna in 1838. Stylistically, Einsle developed from the classical ideal of his early years to a more natural rendering, sensitively reflecting the subject’s physiognomy. His role models were Moritz Daffinger and Friedrich von Amerling, who showed him essential characteristics of English portraiture. Besides a wealth of portraits of his contemporaries, Einsle produced a few historical, mythological and Christian subjects.

Author: Habersatter Thomas

Literature: Ducke Astrid, Habersatter Thomas (Hrsg. I ed.): Face to Face. Österreichische Porträtmalerei des 19. Jahrhunderts. 19th-century Austrian portrait painting. Residenzgalerie Salzburg I DomQuartier Salzburg 6.6.-29.9.2025. Salzburg 2025, S. I p. 164