Benedikt Piringer

Benedikt Piringer studied at the Vienna Academy, where he was taught landscape drawing by Friedrich August Brand and the technique of aquatint by Anton Herzinger. His first works were published by Kunst- und Industrie-Comptoir, one of the three leading publishing houses for art and music in Vienna in the early 19th century. Piringer was regarded as a skilful aquatint etcher and landscape artist in both Vienna and Paris, where he worked after 1809 and was awarded prizes and a medal. The present views of Tyrol probably date to around 1800 and are among the prints he made after gouaches by Ferdinand Runk, a landscape painter who worked in Vienna. They show idyllic scenes with mountain huts, little woods and still waters as well as majestic rock massifs, gorges and rushing waterfalls which tower up above diminutive figures. Piringer’s technical proficiency and his fine sense of landscape composition find exemplary expression in these views, some of which are etched while others are in aquatint or a mixture of both techniques. Very fine to superb impressions, partly with light plate tone, all with wide margins around the distinct platemarks. Five of the prints are bound together. Minor handling traces, otherwise in excellent condition. From the collection of Johann Nepomuk Seiler (Lugt 3976). Rare.