Twelve hours after the death of Ludwig van Beethoven on 27 March 1827, Josef Danhauser molded the composer's death mask. This event marked a transitional moment for the Vienna-born artist, whose career would bridge the classical rigidity of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna with the moralizing genre themes characteristic of the Biedermeier period.
Artistic Development and Influences
Born in 1805 to Joseph Ulrich Danhauser, a sculptor and furniture manufacturer, and Johanna Lambert, Josef received his primary instruction from his father. He later trained at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts under Johann Peter Krafft. Influenced by his travels to Venice in 1826 and 1827, where he studied Italian masters under the guidance of the patriarch Johann Ladislaus Pyrker, Danhauser incorporated moralizing subjects into his compositions. His work demonstrated a clear stylistic debt to the narrative approach of William Hogarth.
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Following his father's death in 1829, Danhauser temporarily shifted his professional focus to manage the family furniture factory alongside his brothers. This period of the Biedermeier movement positioned them as precursors to modern design. Despite these industrial responsibilities, he continued to pursue artistic excellence, notably winning the Vienna Academy prize in 1833 for his painting Die Verstoßung der Hagar.
Professional Maturity and Final Years
By 1838, Danhauser was appointed vice-rector of the Academy, and he became a professor of historical painting in 1841. He married Josephine Streit in 1838, with whom he had three children: Josef, Marie, and Julie. Before his death from typhus in 1845, he traveled through Germany and the Netherlands with art sponsor Rudolf von Arthaber. This journey shifted his focus toward the Dutch School, resulting in smaller, more detailed compositions.
Fast facts
- Born: 1805, Vienna
- Died: 1845, Vienna
- Education: Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
- Movement: Biedermeier
- Notable work: Franz Liszt, am Flügel phantasierend (1840)
- Occupations: Artist and painter
- Burial place: Vienna Central Cemetery
- Spouse: Josephine Streit
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Danhauser typically paint?
He specialized in genre works and moralizing subjects, often inspired by the Dutch School and the storytelling techniques of William Hogarth.
Did Danhauser have a professional life outside of painting?
Yes, he managed a successful furniture factory following his father's death, contributing to the development of modern design during the Biedermeier period.
Achievements
- Movement: French Realism
