(Untermieger 1824–1871 St. Ruprecht near Klagenfurt)
A view of Lake Wörthersee with Maria Loretto and Freyenthurn Castle, signed, dated M. Pernhart 1850, oil on canvas, 53 x 65.5 cm, framed, (W)

Markus Pernhart was an Austrian landscape painter, best known for his many depictions of the carinthian alps. Pernhart soon discovered his inclination towards landscape paintings under his master Eduard Ritter von Moro (1793 - 1846) in the city of Klagenfurt. Moro himself was a student of Franz von Steinfeld (1787 – 1868) and the influence and legacy of both painters can clearly be seen in Pernhart’s oeuvre. His love for his art was such, that he would sit hours on the shore of the Wörthersee, heating his colours and hands with a pan filled with hot coals, to paint his surroundings.
Pernhart’s most important works are his album of 198 depictions of Carinthia’s landmarks and his many paintings of the Großglockner, Austria’s highest mountain. Having climbed it about ten times himself, Pernhart was able to paint true to nature representations of it. His precise works were already highly appreciated by alpine enthusiasts of that time and a selection of 31 of his drawings of Carinthia’s notable sights were kept Empress Elisabeth’s art collection. Although here we recognize the Maria Loretto Schloss as well as the Schloss Freyenthurn in the distance, it is clear that, even though faded in the background and in clear colours, the mountains are the true subject of this painting.

Provenance:
Private proberty Austria