Franz Ringel lived from 1940 to 2011. Franz Ringel studied from 1955 until 1959 at the Arts and Crafts School in Graz. Afterwards, he came for one year into the class of Hans Knesl at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. From 1960 until 1965 he took part in the course of Albert Paris Gütersloh at the same university.

Ringel exhibited for the first time in 1940 at the Vienna Secession. At this time, he exhibited still as a single artist. For a period of four years afterwards, he exhibited together with Martha Jungwirth, Kurt Kocherscheidt, Peter Pongratz and Wolfgang Zeppl-Sperl. Together they initiated the group Wirklichkeiten, who described themselves as 'fantastic realists'.

At the age of 40, he devoted his oeuvre increasingly to a 'green' period. After the death of his wife Maria in 1983, he published a book called 'Seventy-Eight Pictures for Maria', which received a prize as one of the most beautiful books of Austria.

Numerous exhibitions, mainly in Austria and with Austrian organizations, made his work known. In 1981 he was awarded the Prize of the City of Vienna for Fine Art, in 1989 the Austrian Art Prize for Fine Art and in 1998 the Honorary Prize of the Country of Styria for Fine Art. (fea)