Monumental romantic landscape with travellers resting at the mountain stream (due to the original label on the paintin´s back: near Village Weichelboden by Mariazell in Austrian Styria) was executed by famous Austrian romanticist landscape painter! Drawer and lithographer Melchior Fritsch (1826 Vienna - 1889 Vienna). At first private pupil of Joseph Höger. Stud: punctuation of ABK Vienna under Joseph Mößmer and Franz Steinfeld. In 1845 gold-Med., so-called Imperial Prize for a landscape. and from 1851 yearly represanted by exhibitions of the Viennese art union with genre landscapes. As a painter of self-taught, formed further especially on journeys through the Alps, to Italy, South Tirol, the Middle East (Constantinople, Smyrna), to Paris and 1886 Berlin. Member of the Viennese artist union Eintracht, since 1859 of the Patriotical union Of the artists of Vienna, in 1861 Co-founder of the Vienna Künstlerhaus. 1876-84 the Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef I bought a few landscapes. (oil, Aqu) by Fritsch at the exhibition of the Vienna Künstlerhaus. Fritsch favorite motives were late romantic landscapes, often lake motifs of the Salzkammergut area with scenery (carters, herdsmen with cows and horses). Famous also his costume-portraits (in watercolour) of famous Austrian actors ( Johann Nestroy as Willibald, lith, 1847, Vienna museum on Karlsplatz).

Works by M.Fritsch situate in LINZ, province museum of Upper Austria; SEITENSTETTEN, Stifts-Gal.; Vienna, Fine Art Academy.

Exhibitions: 1867 Paris, 1873 Vienna.

Literature: Thieme/Becker 2, 1916 (Lit.). Almanach der Maler und Bildhauer Deutschlands und Oesterreich-Ungarns (St.) 1:1890; Fuchs, Maler (19.Jh.) I, 1972; Erg.-Bd I, 1978. – Schmidt, 1951; B.Heinzl, Jb. des Oberösterr. Museal-Ver. 24:1979, 126; R.Waissenberger, Schau-Slg (K HM), W. 1984; GG der ABK in Wien. Ill. Bestands-Verz. (K), W. 1989; Thiemann-Stoedtner, 1989; L.Schultes, Die Slg Kastner (K Oberösterr. LM), II, Linz 1996 (Lit.); M.Mayrhofer (Ed.), Stifts-Gal. Seitenstetten (K), Seitenstetten [ca. 1998]; Aichelburg I.1, 2003; Dorotheum (Aukt.), W. 21.6.2004. – Online: Öl-Gem. und Aqu., 19.Jh. (Aukt. Dorotheum), W. 22.10.2004.

Inscription: signed and dated 1886 lower right, on the back of the stretcher - exhibition´s label with the name and title in German: " Melchior Fritsch, ... bei Weichelboden, Steyermark"; the label with the artist´s name and adress; the stamp of Viennese canvas producer of the time on the back of the canvas.

Technique: oil on canvas. Luxuriousy gold-plated original period frame.

Measurements: unframed w 55 1/8" x h 39 1/3 " (140 x 100 cm), , framed w 71 1/4 " x h 55 1/2 " (181 x 141 cm).

Condition: painting and frame are in very good condition, original canvas was professionally cleaned, the framed painting is ready to hang on the wall.