Lisel Salzer was born in 1906 Vienna, Austria. Mrs. Salzer studied art in Vienna and Paris, and exhibited widely in her native country. The artist also enjoyed a successful career in fashion design prior to coming to the United States.
In 1939, Mrs. Salzer arrived in New York City and, after some struggle, established herself as a well-known portrait artist. Working in oils, pastels, and watercolors at the world famous department store Bonwit Teller, her subjects included portraits of the "society ladies who lunched and their children". One of the many portraits Mrs. Salzer painted was of Grandma Moses, painted at the artist's own home in Eagle Bridge, New York. Ms. Salzer also painted watercolors of Central Park and other famous New York landmarks.
Mrs. Salzer's enamels and other works have been shown in exhibitions in New York, Connecticut, Detroit, Wichita, San Francisco, Denver and Portland, Oregon.
In Washington State, the artist's work has been exhibited at the Seattle Art Museum. Her one-person shows include exhibits at the Washington State Capitol Museum in Olympia and the Frye Museum in Seattle.
Lisel Salzer passed away in 2005 at the age of 99.
