Joseph Anton Rhomberg (24 September 1786 – 3 December 1853) was an Austrian‑born German painter, illustrator and graphic artist notable for his portraiture, religious compositions and contributions to academic art education in the early 19th century.
Early life and education
Rhomberg was born in Dornbirn, then part of the Habsburg territories (present‑day Vorarlberg, Austria), the youngest of ten children in a family engaged in textile trade. His father, Johannes Rhomberg (1733–1795), worked as a local portrait painter, which influenced Joseph’s artistic direction. In 1802 he commenced formal studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. From 1809 to 1816 he continued his training at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he studied under Robert von Langer, Joseph Hauber, history‑painter Andreas Seidl and Moritz Kellerhoven.
Career
Rhomberg held his first exhibition in Munich in 1814. Between 1817 and 1822 he resided in Vienna, producing portraits of prominent figures. He returned to Munich in 1823 and, four years later, was appointed professor of drawing at the Technical University of Munich (now the Technische Universität München). In this capacity he instructed a generation of artists, among them Franz Xaver Bobleter, Gebhard Flatz, Theodor Horschelt, Friedrich Salzer and Alexander Strähuber. During his professorship Rhomberg concentrated on religious subjects, creating works for churches and private patrons.
Personal life and legacy
Rhomberg’s son Hanno followed in his footsteps as a painter. Among Rhomberg’s extant paintings is the genre work A Hunter and a Dairy Maid (1834). His oeuvre reflects the transitional style between late‑Classicism and early Romanticism, characterized by careful draftsmanship and a focus on narrative content.
Rhomberg died in Munich on 3 December 1853. His contributions to portraiture, religious art, and academic instruction secured his place within the German‑Austrian artistic milieu of the 19th century.