User:Kasimiretchings/Josef eidenberger

Professor Josef Eidenberger was born in Goisern, Austria in 1899. 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-craftsman Luigi Kasimir, Eidenberger improved his technique from plate to plate. He is the only etcher who has been able to approximate the Kasimir technique.

His eye for detail and meticulous execution of each plate 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 European scenes. In 1974 he was commissioned to do a series of color etchings of Williamsburg, Virginia in commemoration of the United States Bicentennial celebration. During his travels throughout the United States 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.

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.

Professor Eidenberger died in 1991 at the age of 92.