Hans ZATZKA (1859-1945) ✿

Hans ZATZKA (1859-1945, Vienna) was an Austrian Academic and fantasy painter. He has sometimes been known as J. Bernard, P. Ronsard, Pierre de Ronsard, or H. Zabateri, and signed many of his works as Joseph Bernard, or Bernard Zatzka.

Hans Zatzka between 1877 and 1882, he studied at the Academie des Beaux-Arts, under Christian Griepenkerl, Carl Wurzinger, and Karl von Blaas. Zatzka was able to earn a living through the production of frescoes for churches and other institutions.

In 1880 he Award winning the Golden Fügermedal. Many of Zatzka's works were religious paintings and altar pieces dedicated to various churches in Austria.

However, he is more known for his paintings of women, fairies, and other fantastical scenes. Often, he would draw inspiration from the works of Richard Wagner and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, several pieces by Zatzka were photographed and made into commercial and collectable postcards.

During the 1920s, Zatzka's style became the decor of choice throughout Europe. In addition, the previous thirty years held a resurgence for Zatzka. Currently, most of Zatzka's paintings reside in private collections.