August Schaeffer von Wienwald studied landscape painting under Franz Steinfeld (1787-1868) at Vienna’s Academy of Fine Arts from 1852 to 1856, and took numerous study trips to the surrounding region during his time there. These trips were followed by travels to Hungary, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy, as well as within Austria. Of these, Salzburg was one of his favourite destinations. In his youth, he practiced by painting the landscape of Salzkammergut, and when he was older, he spent the summer and autumn with his family at his villa in St. Gilgen on Lake Wolfgangsee. He completed the villa in 1889, and its location offered him a view of his favorite subject: the mountains.


Schaeffer traveled to Salzkammergut for the summer as early as 1853 (still accompanied by his teacher), where he was instructed to complete studies straight from nature. The periods he spent in the region are documented with numerous sketches, drawings and paintings. One work depicts a group of lime trees on the Mönchsberg in Salzburg. The towering trees, overlapping with the sky, are represented in a color palette of warm green, ochre, brown and a striking auburn shade. The foreground has been reproduced in detail, expressing the calming atmosphere of the surroundings. Schaeffer completed two further nature studies of this group of trees. The attractive atmosphere makes the work particularly enticing for modern-day viewers.