The Life and Career of Anton Faistenberger
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Anton Faistenberger was a painter and etcher. He was a member of the Faistenberger family of painters and sculptors, which was documented from the 16th to the 18th century. He was the son of the painter Wilhelm Faistenberger and Susanna. His half-brother was the painter Joseph Faistenberger. While some literature suggests he may have studied under Baurisch or Bouritsch in Salzburg and Passau, or spent time in the workshop of Salvator Rosa in Rome, other researchers suggest he may have been self-taught.
Faistenberger worked primarily in Vienna and Prague. He resided in the Palais Esterházy in Vienna, suggesting he worked for the Esterházy family. He may have stayed in Venice before 1694, where he was friends with Johann Carl Loth. His documented collaborations include working with Johann Graf and Franz Werner Tamm. He also worked for Prince Adam Andreas von Liechtenstein on five supraportas for Schloss Koloděje and was commissioned by the Austrian imperial court to create landscapes for the death chamber of Emperor Joseph I in the Vienna Hofburg.
Artistic Style and Notable Works
Faistenberger's style is described as conventional, and his work is categorized as landscape painting. His compositions include Italian ideal landscapes, as well as works featuring:
In his later works, Faistenberger moved away from a clear division of foreground, middle ground, and background, opting instead for a more immediate observation of nature within a seemingly random pictorial fragment.
