Josef Eidenberger Biography
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Author: John Ranes II, CPF, GCF
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May/21/06
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Born in the little town of Goisern, Austria on 30 May 1899. His family moved to Vienna in 1902 as his father acquired a new job working in a bank.
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Mr. Eidenberger began his artistic career as a landscape painter, showing great perception for the mood of the local countryside. In 1923 he enrolled in the famed Graphic Academy of Art in Vienna and studied under Professor Alfred Cossman.
Starting with copper engraving, Eidenberger soon turned to etching as his medium. His specialized studies and love for subtle color led him to the complicated process of color etching. Greatly influenced by the Austrian etch-craftman Luigi Kasimir, Eidenberger improved his technique from plate to plate.
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Professor Josef Eidenberger
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He is considered today as the only etcher who was able to approximate the Kasimir technique.
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Farmhouse in Mühlviertel
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Ulm on the Danube River
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His eye for detail and meticulous execution of each plate has brought him many commissions from city officials and members of the business communities throughout Europe, especially in Austria and Germany. In 1973 after visiting the United States for the first time he created a series of California etchings, adding a new dimension to his exquisite European scenes. In 1974 he was commissioned to do a series of color etchings of Williamsburg, Va. in commemoration of the United States Bicentennial celebration. During his travels throughout the U.S. in the fall of the same year he was once again commissioned to do etchings of the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City and scenes of the East and West Coast.
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In December of 1977, the Austrian government bestowed upon Mr. Eidenberger, the honorary title of PROFESSOR OF THE ARTS in appreciation for his contribution to the advancement of fine art. His work can be found in galleries and print collections throughout the world. Exhibitions of his work and his contributions to the art world are literally too numerous to mention.
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Eidenberger Press Museum - Niederwaldkirchen
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Due to the increased worldwide demand for his etchings, coupled by his death in 1991 at the age of 92, the value of his work has risen sharply as more and more collectors have realized the brilliance of his extraordinary talent.
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