Hans Zatzka

Hans Zatzka (Austrian, 1859-1945) A very fine and charming oil on board "In Search of Love", depicting a young maiden standing by the lake shore, flanked by a flying white dove and leaning on an old structure surrounded by shrubs and flowers, waving farewell to a departing cupid riding on a sea-shell vessel led by a swan, within a giltwood and gesso carved frame. Signed (l/r): H. Zatzka, circa: 1880s. Note: The back of the board is handwritten in pencil: "Der Kleine Lohengrin" (The small Lohengrin) - Jede art vervielfältigung vorvliehalten (Any kind of duplication is reserved). Hans Zatzka (Austrian 1859-1945) was a well known and regarded Austrian fantasy artist whose most popular and valuable works depicted figures of young maidens with angels, floral and other cheerful and warm scenes, including Orientalist themes. In the past thirty years alone, the high quality and detail of his beautiful paintings has caught the attention of International collectors and art dealers alike, creating a highly sought after market and demand for his instantly recognizable body of work. In the late 19th and early 20th century, many of Zazka's charming works were photographed for commercial and collectable postcards. Though no information about his works being exhibited in museums is currently available, most of Zatzka's paintings are in private collections and, in the past century, very few of them have become available on the open art market. At the young age of eighteen Zatzka joined Austria's Academy of Fine Arts under the leadership of Professor Blaas. For his fine early works, in 1880 he received The Golden Fügermedal award. Zatzka, like many other artists of the era, traveled around Europe working and selling his art and, in one of his many trips to Italy, he developed a special interest in Religious themes, decorating churches with frescoes as well as painting several religious scenes of Madonna's and Child, Saints, Angels and others. In 1885 Zatzka was commissioned to paint "The Naiad of Baden" a ceiling fresco at Kurhaus Baden. Most of Zatzka's income came from his work in religious art and special church commissions. Numerous leading art dealers from around the world that specialize in late 19th and early 20th century European genre paintings have come to the conclusion that the painter signing his works Bernard Zatzka, Joseph Bernard or J. Bernard is almost certainly the artist Hans Zatzka. The consensus seems quite plausible when comparing works known to have been executed by Hans Zatzka together with similar works displaying the signature; Joseph Bernard, J. Bernard or Bernard Zatzka. Lohengrin refers to the knight of the swan, hero of German versions of a legend widely known in variant forms from the European Middle Ages onward. It seems to bear some relation to the northern European folktale of “The Seven Swans,” but its actual origin is uncertain. It is also a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans...

Hans Zatzka (Austrian, 1859-1945) a superb quality oil on canvas titled "Flowers of the Alps" ("Blumen der Alpen") Depicting young standing and posing young maiden holding a wicker b...

Oil painting by Hans Zatzka (1859-1945 Vienna) under his pseudonym J. Bernard. Portrait of a 'Fellah-Girl' in front of a golden backdrop in her traditional garments with headdress, l...

Oil on Canvas of a Young Lady with a Basket of Fruit by Hans Zaztka Height: 33" Width: 22" Hans Zatzka, also known as P. Ronsard,Zabateri, Pierre de Ronsard, Joseph Bernard and Bernárd Zatzka, was born March 8, 1859 in Vienna, to a builder and his Viennese actress wife, Hilde Sochor. Zatzka showed an early interest in painting. From 1877 to 1882 he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, studying under Christian Griepenkerl, Karl Wurzinger, and Carl of Blaas. In 1880, at the age of 20, he was awarded the Golden Fügermedal; the golden decoration for services to the city Vienna. After several trips to Italy, Hans worked in the style of his predecessor, Hans Makart, as a free-lance painter in Vienna, painting ceiling frescoes in stairway houses and residential buildings, numerous murals for altars in churches, and portraits. It was during this time that he developed as special interest in academic genre paintings of idyllic women and cupids. From these representations, Zatzka turned to painting guardian angel images, elves, sensuous female figures, genre scenes, allegories and other popular motifs. He was a greatly influenced by the operas of Richard Wagner and considered ground-breaking in the production of "bedroom pictures...