Born February 28th, 1799 in Krnov (Jaegerndorf), Emanuel Peter came from an artistic family. His father, Franz Peter, was in charge of one of the largest textiles companies in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When Emanuel was age five, his mother, Marie, died and he was raised by his stepmother, Veronika.

In 1818, he moved to Vienna to study architecture at the Vienna Academy and soon afterward, he turned to miniature painting. In 1826 he married Anna Hollerer. After a stay in his hometown, likely due to the death of his farther, Emanuel went back to Vienna where he became a student of Moritz Michael Daffinger (1790-1849). Emanuel made copies that are said to be almost indistinguishable from Daffinger's original work.

Later he rose to great esteem including among Austrian nobility. During the 1840s and 50s he made his most famous paintings. In 1860 his wife passed away, and subsequent mental depression diminished his artistic output.

In 1866 and 1867 he was accused of copying paintings from other artists and placing them in exhibitions under his own name.

On July sixth, 1873, Emanuel Peter died at an age of seventy four.

Submitted by Brian Schaumloffel, great, great, great grandson of Emanuel Thomas Peter.

Sources:
"Emanuel Thomas Peter", The Tansey Collection of Miniatures, www.miniaturen-tansey.de/en/artists/list/aid/201

"Emanuel Thomas Peter", Boris Wilnitsky Fine Arts, www.wilnitsky.com/scripts/redgallery1.dll/details?No=32336