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Richard Gerstl Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Richard Gerstl our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Richard Gerstl · 1883 – 1908

Lakeside Road near Gmunden

1907 · Leopold Museum, Vienna · original 32.3 x 33.2cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20032 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$20233 × 32 cm Commission at original size

Self-Portrait Laughing

1907

Experience Richard Gerstl’s ‘Self-Portrait Laughing,’ a vibrant Expressionist masterpiece! Explore its bold colors & distorted forms – a captivating glimpse into 1907 Vienna.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20027 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Sunny meadow with fruit trees

1908 · original 43 x 34 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$21534 × 43 cm Commission at original size

A vibrant pointillist landscape of a lush flowering meadow by Austrian Expressionist pioneer Richard Gerstl captures a serene moment of nature through expressive brushwork and inviting light for your collection.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20032 × 31 cm Commission this artwork

Waldemar Unger II

1903

Explore Richard Gerstl’s ‘Waldemar Unger II,’ a striking 1903 oil portrait showcasing impasto technique & formal realism. A captivating example of early Expressionism.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Schonberg Family

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20035 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Mathilde Schoenberg in Garden

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20019 × 53 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of a gentleman (green background)

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20029 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of a Gentleman

1907

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20022 × 45 cm Commission this artwork

Waldemar Unger I

1903

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Double Portrait (green background)

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20029 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Small Self-Portrait

1906 · original 49.0 x 37.0cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$22737 × 49 cm Commission at original size

Small street (Nußdorferstraße)

1908

Gerstl's 'Small street (Nußdorferstraße)' captures a wintry urban scene with loose brushstrokes and muted colors. A solitary figure walks through the snow-covered, imposing architecture of Vienna in 1908.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of Mother, Maria Gerstl, unfinished

1908

Discover Richard Gerstl’s unfinished ‘Portrait of Mother,’ a raw Expressionist masterpiece. Explore its layered impasto, dynamic brushstrokes & poignant emotionality – a unique piece for art collectors.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20026 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Carl Zentzytzki

1902 · original 53 x 42 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$24142 × 53 cm Commission at original size

Seated Female Nude

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20026 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of a Lieutenant (Alois Gerstl)

1906

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20029 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Emile Gerstl (father)

1906

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20026 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Woman with Feathered Hat

1907

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Self-Portrait with Palette

1907 · original 186.5 x 58.5cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22517 × 57 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$55859 × 187 cm Commission at original size

Room

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20026 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of a seated man

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20027 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Nude in Garden

1908

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Mother and Daughter

1906

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20028 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Fruit Tree

1907

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 68 artworks by Richard Gerstl
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20021 × 48 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Richard Gerstl

1883 – 1908

Quick facts

Topics exploredportraits, forests, men, famous people, landscape
Copyright statusPublic domain
Died1908
Museums on APSLeopold Museum
Born1883, Vienna, Austria
Creative periodsmature period
Lifespan25 years
Top-ranked workLakeside Road near Gmunden

Biography

Richard Gerstl: A Tragic Pioneer of Expressionism

Born: Vienna, Austria (1883)
Died: Vienna, Austria (1908)

Richard Gerstl was an Austrian painter and draughtsman whose brief but intense career placed him at the forefront of early Expressionism. Despite achieving little recognition during his lifetime, he is now considered a pivotal figure in Viennese modern art, known for his psychologically insightful portraits and landscapes that anticipated later developments in German Expressionism. His life was tragically cut short by suicide following a scandalous affair, an event which profoundly impacted his contemporary Arnold Schoenberg.

Early Life and Artistic Development

Born into a prosperous Jewish merchant family, Gerstl’s early life took an unexpected turn when he declared his intention to become an artist. This decision was met with disapproval from his father, leading to a degree of familial tension. After struggling in the traditional Viennese Piaristengymnasium and being expelled for disciplinary issues, Gerstl received private tutoring while pursuing his artistic ambitions. In 1898, at fifteen, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under the demanding Christian Griepenkerl. Gerstl quickly grew disillusioned with the academic style and the prevailing trends of the Vienna Secession, famously provoking a harsh rebuke from Griepenkerl.

Artistic Influences and Style

Following his departure from the Academy, Gerstl embarked on a period of self-directed study. Summers spent under Simon Hollósy in Nagybánya exposed him to more liberal artistic approaches. However, further clashes with authority, including a refusal to participate in an imperial procession, led to his expulsion from Hollósy’s studio as well. Gerstl's style was characterized by a raw intensity and psychological depth that set him apart. He rejected the decorative aesthetic of the Secession, opting instead for bold colors, distorted forms, and expressive brushwork. His portraits, in particular, reveal a keen understanding of human psychology, capturing not just physical likeness but also underlying emotional states. Influences can be seen in earlier masters, but Gerstl developed a uniquely personal style that foreshadowed Expressionism’s focus on subjective experience.

Relationships with Schoenberg and the Tragic End

Around 1907, Gerstl became associated with composers Arnold Schoenberg and Alexander von Zemlinsky, who lived in the same building. A close friendship developed between Gerstl and Schoenberg, with Gerstl reportedly instructing Schoenberg in art. This period saw Gerstl produce a series of portraits of Schoenberg, his family, and friends, including several striking depictions of Schoenberg’s wife, Mathilde. A passionate affair ensued between Gerstl and Mathilde, culminating in her departure from Schoenberg in the summer of 1908. Devastated by this loss and facing isolation and a lack of artistic recognition, Gerstl destroyed most of his personal papers and artwork in a desperate act. He subsequently hanged himself in front of a mirror, also inflicting a stab wound upon himself.

Legacy and Historical Significance

Gerstl’s suicide had a profound impact on Schoenberg, inspiring his “drama with music,” Die glückliche Hand (The Lucky Hand). For many years after his death, Gerstl's work remained largely unknown. It was not until 1930 or 1931 that art dealer Otto Kallir organized a posthumous exhibition of his paintings at the Neue Galerie in Vienna. Despite facing challenges from the rising Nazi presence in Austria, Gerstl’s reputation gradually grew, and his importance as a precursor to Expressionism became increasingly recognized. Today, approximately sixty-six paintings and eight drawings are attributed to him. His work is now celebrated for its innovative approach to portraiture and landscape painting, and his tragic life continues to fascinate art historians and enthusiasts alike. Gerstl's legacy lies in his pioneering spirit and his contribution to the development of a new artistic language that prioritized emotional expression over traditional aesthetic conventions.

Questions & Answers

Where is Richard Gerstl from?

Richard Gerstl was born in Austria.

In which historical period did Richard Gerstl work?

Richard Gerstl worked in the Modern period. The period situates the artist's activity in history.

Can I browse Richard Gerstl's works by color palette?

To find works by Richard Gerstl in a specific palette, use the artist's By Palettes page.

By the OriginalUniqueArt.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 3, 2026

Collector's quiz

Richard Gerstl was born in which country?
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