View of Hallstatt

Anton Schiffer, well-known for his mountain motifs, chose this "View of Hallstatt" as one of the most popular Salzkammergut views. 19th century painters saw Hallstatt, on the narrow stretch of bank between the lake and the steep mountainside, as especially romantic – which in this case does not exclude a certain dramatic element.
Schiffer selected an elevated standpoint. The sunlit houses are huddled close together. The picture shows only a limited view, contrasting the smooth, shimmering surface of the lake – rendered in various shades of blue – with the towering massif of the Hoher Sarstein. In the composition, the artist harks back to paintings by Franz Steinfeld (1787–1868) and Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793–1865), dated 1824 and 1839 respectively.
The Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut region has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997.

Habersatter Thomas: Anton Schiffer, View of Salzburg. In: Ducke Astrid, Habersatter Thomas (Hg./Ed.): Stadt - Land - Berg. Salzburg und seine Umgebung. Town - Landscape - Mountain. Salzburg and surroundings. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2022, p. 144, illus. p. 145