Joseph Karl Stieler
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Beethoven.jpg/100px-Beethoven.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Joseph_Karl_Stieler_-_Portrait_of_Madame_M%C3%A8re_de_l%27Empereur_%28Maria_Laetitia_Ramolino_Bonaparte%2C_1750_-_1836%29.jpg/100px-Joseph_Karl_Stieler_-_Portrait_of_Madame_M%C3%A8re_de_l%27Empereur_%28Maria_Laetitia_Ramolino_Bonaparte%2C_1750_-_1836%29.jpg)
Joseph Karl Stieler (1 November 1781 — 9 April 1858) was a German painter. He was born in Mainz. His family were engravers and die-cutters. He received some artistic training from his father, August Friedrich Stieler (1736-1789). He began his career as a painter of miniatures.
In 1810, Stieler traveled through Italy and painted a portrait of Letizia Ramolino Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon I.
In 1816, he traveled to Vienna and painted portrait of Emperor Francis I of Austria.
Between February and April 1820, he worked on his portrait of Beethoven, which is probably the most well-known representation of the composer today.