Erwin Puchinger (1875- 1944) was a Viennese painter, illustrator, industrial designer and graphic artist. Puchinger  studied with the famous muralist and art professor Franz von Matsch (1861–1942), who worked on decorative art with  Gustav  Klimt. He worked in London, Prague and Paris as well as Vienna and collaborated with other major figures in Viennese art and design such as Ernst and Gustav Klimt and Otto Prutscher.

At the end of his studies, he met Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffman,  Joseph Maria Olbrich and Koloman Moser and joined the Vienna Secession. In the year 1900, after completing his studies,  Puchinger made sketching trips to Capri and Rome, where he absorbed the classical influences. At the Exposition Universelle, the Paris Worlds Fair, of 1900, one of his large decorative paintings was given great prominence in the huge Austrian pavilion and he went on to receive accolades in the French, Austrian and British press. The first issue of the famous Viennese design magazine Das Interieur featured his work from Paris. Erwin Puchinger turned to painting in later years. Both him and his wife Elfriede 1938 -1943 presented regularly at the Great German Art Exhibitions in Munich and 3 of his paintings were personally acquired by Adolf Hitler.