Franz Alt

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), also known as the Lammergeier or Ossifrage, is a bird of prey and the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), its closest living relative. It is not much more closely related to the Old World vultures proper than to, for example, hawks, and differs from the former by its feathered neck. Although dissimilar, the Egyptian and bearded vulture each have a lozenge-haped tail — unusual among birds of prey. In July 2014, the IUCN Red List has reassesed this species to be near threatened. Before July 2014, it was actually classed as Least Concern. Their population trend is decreasing. The bearded vulture eats carrion and bone-marrow and lives and breeds on crags in high mountains in southern Europe, the Caucasus, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, and Tibet.

Born in Vienna, Franz von Alt was one of eight children of the painter Jakob Alt. As his older brother Rudolf von Alt , who later became famous landscape and architectural painter, Franz took his father's profession. The brothers accompanied their father on trips and learned the first technical basics of watercolor painting. Franz Alt continued his training at the Vienna Academy. His style is very similar of that of his brother, Rudolf. His watercolors were much in demand by the imperial houses in Vienna, London and St. Petersburg. For further reading see M.-L. Schuppanz, Franz Alt, Dissertation, Wien 1980.