Robert Scheffer

About the Painting

This interior scene, painted in 1923 by Austrian artist Robert Scheffer (1859-1934), captures a quiet, reflective moment in the daily life of a woman during the Biedermeier era in Vienna. A young lady dressed in a delicate, ankle-length blue-green dress with subtle floral motifs stands beside an ornately crafted wooden chest of drawers. Her attention is directed toward a small table clock and an open book or letter, suggesting an act of remembrance or contemplation.

The elegantly furnished room—with its striped wallpaper, framed portraits, vase of pink flowers, and richly detailed furniture—evokes the calm elegance of Viennese bourgeois domesticity. A red carpet and finely upholstered green chair add warmth to the composition. The painting demonstrates Scheffer's attention to texture, light, and emotional nuance, immersing the viewer in the serenity and refinement of a bygone era.

Created in 1923, this work reflects the Biedermeier revival that characterized much of Scheffer's mature output, looking back nostalgically to the period of 1815-1848 when Vienna's middle class cultivated an aesthetic of domestic comfort and restrained elegance. The painting captures both the physical details of bourgeois interiors and the contemplative atmosphere that defined this cultural moment.

About the Artist

Robert Scheffer (1859-1934) was an Austrian painter, illustrator, and professor, known for his detailed genre scenes, portraits, and depictions of bourgeois life in Vienna. Born in Vienna in 1859, Scheffer studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind, under the guidance of prominent academic painters.

His work is often associated with Realism and the Biedermeier revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a style that emphasized intimate, domestic subjects rendered with meticulous detail. This revival reflected a broader nostalgia for the perceived stability and cultural refinement of pre-revolutionary Vienna, particularly appealing during the tumultuous final decades of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Scheffer became a well-regarded figure in the Viennese art scene and later served as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, influencing a generation of young artists. His paintings often captured quiet moments in genteel interiors, reflecting a sense of nostalgia and the cultural identity of Austro-Hungarian society during a time of great change.

In addition to his painting, Scheffer contributed illustrations to books and magazines, further establishing his reputation as a versatile visual storyteller. His artworks are housed in several museums and private collections, and they continue to be appreciated for their elegance, narrative subtlety, and technical refinement.

Robert Scheffer died in 1934, leaving behind a legacy of works that capture the grace and decorum of Viennese bourgeois life in the twilight of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Technical Details

Artist: Robert Scheffer (1859-1934)
Signed: Lower left corner, dated 1923
Date: 1923
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Very good condition
Dimensions: 80 x 59 cm / 31½ x 23¼ in
Frame: 96 x 75 cm / 37¾ x 29½ in, very good condition
Origin: Austria

An intimate example of Viennese Biedermeier revival painting by an Academy professor.