Louis Tannert
Louis August Ludwig Tannert (28 October 1831 – 26 March 1915), who has also been referred to as W. L. Tannert, was a painter from Germany who had a significant career as art educator and curator in South Australia. He studied at the Düsseldorf school of painting and the Royal Academy of Dresden. He arrived in Melbourne on board the Kent on 17 December 1876 and was soon showing his works in the city, mostly genre paintings in the style of the Düsseldorf school of painting.
Louis Tannert

Anonymous. · Portraits of members of the Board of Governors and Officers of the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of South Australia. Assembled in 1884-1886. [B 9387/1-50] (https: collections.slsa.sa.gov.au · Public domain
- Born
- 1831 · Leipzig.
- Died
- 1915 · Melbourne.
- Nationality
- Australia · Kingdom of Saxony · Germany
- Occupation
- painter · teacher · artist
- Fields
- portrait
- Languages
- English · German
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wikidata · Q19666553 · wikipedia · Louis Tannert
In this article
Key facts
On the recommendation of Eugene von Guerard he was offered the position of head master of the South Australian School of Design, which he took up in October 1881. He resigned in 1892 and returned to Germany but died in Melbourne. He was curator of the Art Gallery of South Australia 1882–1889.
The recorded working language is English and German. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait. Places of work recorded in the authority are Düsseldorf and Melbourne. Work by Louis Tannert is recorded in the collections of Art Gallery of South Australia and National Gallery of Australia.
• Born — 28 October 1831 • Died — 26 March 1915 26 March 1915 • Place of death — Melbourne Louis August Ludwig Tannert (28 October 1831 – 26 March 1915), who has also been referred to as W. L. Tannert, was a painter from Germany who had a significant career as art educator and curator in South Australia. He studied at the Düsseldorf school of painting and the Royal Academy of Dresden. He arrived in Melbourne on board the Kent on 17 December 1876 and was soon showing his works in the city, mostly genre paintings in the style of the Düsseldorf school of painting. On the recommendation of Eugene von Guerard he was offered the position of head master of the South Australian School of Design, which he took up in October 1881. He resigned in 1892 and returned to Germany but died in Melbourne. He was curator of the Art Gallery of South Australia 1882–1889.
Some works
• Woman Spinning Düsseldorf 1870 Art Gallery of South Australia • The Birthday etching after oil painting by Tannert • The Birthday; description • Our Lady of Lourdes in St. Ignatius' Church, Richmond, Victoria. • Paddy's Market 1878 National Gallery of Australia • Children's Concert ca.1881 Art Gallery of South Australia • Portrait of E. T. Smith, 1882 • Aboriginal Queen 1891 Art Gallery of South Australia
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1831
Louis Tannert born at Leipzig.
1915
Louis Tannert died at Melbourne.
Named by the record
Places
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Leipzig.
Birth place
Melbourne.
Death place
Citations
References
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Further particulars
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Louis Tannert is recorded as painter, teacher and artist.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 25 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
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