Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner

Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner (1702–1761) was a prominent Austrian-German artist of the Rococo period, celebrated for his masterful ceiling frescoes and contributions to reverse glass painting. Born in the Tyrolean town of Ebbs near Kufstein, he was the son of a blacksmith and trained in Salzburg, where he specialized in the intricate technique of Hinterglasmalerei—painting on the reverse side of glass. This unique decorative art form, though admired in its time, survives today only in limited examples.

After traveling through Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, Baumgartner established himself in Augsburg by 1731. He began working independently two years later, initially limited to glass painting due to guild restrictions. As the sole practitioner of Hinterglasmalerei in Augsburg, he quickly garnered attention. In 1745, having gained citizenship and full guild membership, he expanded his practice to include oil painting and large-scale fresco work. Among his most renowned projects are the ceiling paintings in the Sanctuary of the Holy Cross and the Sanctuary of St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Baitenhausen, completed in 1760. Baumgartner remained active in Augsburg until his death in 1761 and is remembered as a key figure in Southern Germany’s Rococo movement.