Andreas Untersberger facts for kids

Andreas Untersberger (born 1874, died 1944) was an Austrian painter. He used the special name A. Juenger when he signed his artworks. Andreas Untersberger drew many pictures for Catholic children's books and small religious pictures called holy cards.

Meet Andreas Untersberger: An Austrian Artist

Andreas Untersberger was a talented artist from Austria. He spent his life creating beautiful illustrations. Many of his works were for young readers and for people who wanted religious pictures.

His Family and Early Life

Andreas was the eighth son in his family. His father was a wood carver from Upper Austria. His father made altars and other religious items for churches. Andreas's older brother, Josef August Untersberger, was also an artist. Josef was known as "Giovanni" and created sculptures and paintings.

When Andreas was 16, he helped his father build an altar in Knittelfeld. This was an early start to his art career. He showed great skill in a local art show in Austria. Later, he moved to Munich, Germany, to work in different art studios. He even painted three pictures in Odrovice, which is now part of the Czech Republic.

Learning and Growing as an Artist

Around the year 1900, a new art style called Jugendstil became very popular. Churches stopped ordering large art projects. So, Andreas's father closed the family business. Andreas then moved to Vienna.

From 1895 to 1899, Andreas studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Here, he likely learned the Jugendstil art style. Between 1901 and 1905, he traveled often between Munich and Vienna. Finally, in 1905, he settled in Munich for good.

He joined different groups for artists in Munich and Berlin. His artwork received good reviews. Some of his non-religious paintings were shown at the Glasspalast in Munich. In 1932, his art was also part of an exhibition at the Deutsches Museum.

Art for Children and Faith

In the early 1900s, Andreas Untersberger drew pictures for many children's books. A lot of these books were about religious topics. They were even used in Catholic schools.

Later in his life, he worked mostly for a German publishing company called Ars Sacra. He drew pictures for their children's books and religious items. He had to follow very strict rules for these drawings.

Andreas created more than 400 illustrations for holy cards. These cards were printed again and again until 1980. It is believed that Liane Müller, the director of Ars Sacra, suggested he use the name "A. Juenger." This was to avoid people confusing him with his older brother, Josef, whose art was sometimes called "kitsch" (meaning it was seen as overly sentimental or cheap). In his last years, Andreas's work went almost only to Ars Sacra. This was because religious art became harder to create and share when the government started controlling everything more strictly.