1
Lukas Kirner Paintings: The 6 Most Famous, Through a Gallery's Eye
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 6 works by Lukas Kirner in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Lukas Kirner's most famous painting is Self-portrait (1821), whose original hangs in the Augustiner Museum, Freiburg. Karoline Knöpfle from Günzburg, sister of Creszentia Kirner (1821) and Creszentia Kirner, née Knöpfle, the Artist’s Wife (1820) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 6 works by Lukas Kirner in our catalog, the gallery presents the 6 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
1794 – 1851, Furtwangen im Schwarzwald
Most works: Augustiner Museum
The gallery's top 10 Lukas Kirner paintings
2
3
4
5
6
The museums that keep Lukas Kirner's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Lukas Kirner | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Augustiner Museum |
Freiburg | 6 | Self-portrait, Karoline Knöpfle from Günzburg, sister of Creszentia Kirner, Creszentia Kirner, née Knöpfle, the Artist’s Wife |
Lukas Kirner, one signature painting per decade
Works per decade
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Lukas Kirner's paintings: the gallery answers
Which Lukas Kirner painting is the most famous of all?Reveal the answer
Self-portrait (1821), Augustiner Museum, Freiburg. Karoline Knöpfle from Günzburg, sister of Creszentia Kirner (1821) and Creszentia Kirner, née Knöpfle, the Artist’s Wife (1820) come next.
How old was Lukas Kirner on completing Self-portrait?Reveal the answer
27 years old: Self-portrait dates from 1821, and Lukas Kirner was born in 1794.
How many works did Lukas Kirner create?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 6 works by Lukas Kirner, dated from 1820 to 1851.
Where do Lukas Kirner's most famous originals hang?Reveal the answer
Mostly in Augustiner Museum (Freiburg). The museum table above lists them all.
When did Lukas Kirner create the most famous paintings?Reveal the answer
In 1820s: 3 of the 6 works on this page were made then, Self-portrait among them.
Which are Lukas Kirner's earliest and latest famous works?Reveal the answer
On this page, the earliest is Creszentia Kirner, née Knöpfle, the Artist’s Wife (1820) and the latest Portrait of Frau Wenz (1851).
Which Lukas Kirner originals does the Augustiner Museum hold?Reveal the answer
Self-portrait, Karoline Knöpfle from Günzburg, sister of Creszentia Kirner and Creszentia Kirner, née Knöpfle, the Artist’s Wife: the Augustiner Museum, Freiburg holds 6 of the works on this page.
Lukas Kirner: the artist
A life shaped by the Black Forest
Lukas Kirner began his days in Furtwangen im Schwarzwald, a place defined by the steady rhythm of clock manufacturing. He was born into a family where hands were accustomed to fine, precise work; his father, Johann Kirner, worked as a shoemaker, and he himself spent early years learning the delicate craft of painting clock faces. This background in watchmaker painting left a mark on how he approached a canvas. There was a certain patience required for such small, intricate surfaces, a habit that carried over into his later work with oil and color.
His path moved from the mechanical precision of the Black Forest to the Royal Higher Art School in Augsburg. By 1825, he had moved to Günzburg, Bavaria, alongside his wife, Crescentia Knöpfle. While his brother, Johann Baptist Kirner, sought different paths through Munich and Italy, Lukas remained deeply connected to the people of his home region. He found himself painting the faces of those who lived among the trees and hills—merchants, industrialists, and families of farmers.
The quiet study of a face
The work itself often focused on the individual. In his portraits, there is a reliance on chiaroscuro, using the interplay of light and shadow to pull a figure out from the darkness. He did not seek to decorate a room so much as to capture a presence. His brushwork applied color with a meticulousness that mirrored his early training. When he painted his wife, Crescentia, or his sister Karoline, the attention to detail was not merely about clothing or jewelry, but about the way light rested on a cheek or a brow.
His style sat within the Romantic movement, though it felt more grounded than the grander, more dramatic expressions of that era. He preferred an emphasis on emotion and individuality through subtle means. A portrait of a young man with whiskers or a depiction of two brothers shows a focus on the person in front of him. The use of light was never loud; it was a tool used to highlight specific features, creating a sense of depth and quiet introspection.
Legacy in paint
Lukas Kirner’s time in the art world was marked by these steady commissions. His ability to represent both the local peasantry and those with higher social standing, such as Princess Amélie, allowed his work to bridge different layers of society. Some of his paintings found their way into the Augustinermuseum in Freiburg, where they remain part of a permanent collection.
He returned to Furtwangen, the town of his birth, where he passed away in 1851. The traces of his life are found in the specific subjects he chose to immortalize:
- Crescentia Kirner, née Knöpfle, his wife
- Portrait of Two Children (Two Brothers), from 1842
- Self-portrait, created around 1821 or 1830
- Jakob Ganter, painted in Neukirch in 1827