Josef Erler

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Josef Erler (February 9, 1804 – March 31, 1844) was an Austrian landscape painter. He grew up in Brixen and learned drawing from local artist Josef Tauber. With help from friends, he joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1825 and studied there on and off for eleven years. He won the Gundel Prize for excellence in 1827 and the Lampi Prize for drawing from nature. He returned to Brixen in 1836 and died in Innsbruck at age 40 while visiting. Erler painted landscapes, portraits and history paintings, with landscapes as his main focus. Today his work is largely forgotten, but it has historical value. He made several views of Bozen that can be seen at the Stadtmuseum Bozen, and he painted altarpieces for the parish church in Sautens. His painting of the Franzensfeste Fortress was bought by Emperor Ferdinand I. Some of his works were given as gifts to Vincenzo Tizzani, the Bishop of Terni.