Franz Rumpler

Franz Rumpler (1848–1922), Austrian, Franz Rumpler, an Austrian painter renowned for his genre, landscape, and portrait works, was born on December 4, 1848, in Tachau, then part of the Austrian Empire, now Tachov in the Czech Republic. The son of Johann Baptist Rumpler, a sculptor, and brother to Johann Rumpler the Younger, a wood sculptor, Franz initially trained under his father before moving to Vienna at the age of 15. There, he quickly distinguished himself, winning the academic Rosenbaum Prize in his third year for a history painting. With the support of Cardinal Prince Friedrich zu Schwarzenberg, Rumpler pursued his education at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, where he later became a professor and head of the Special School for History Painting. His extensive travels across Italy and France, often alongside Hans Makart, profoundly influenced his artistic development. Rumpler's legacy includes mentoring notable artists such as Kolo Moser and Josef Floch, and his 1897 exhibition featuring 230 works marked a high point in his career. He was honored as an honorary citizen of Tachau the same year. Rumpler spent his later years in Klosterneuburg, where he passed away on March 7, 1922. His work, initially rooted in genre painting, gradually embraced impressionistic influences, reflecting the evolving artistic trends of his time.