Discovered by Arthur Schnitzler in 1894 and appreciated by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Karl Kraus, Altenberg was one of the main proponents of Viennese Impressionism.

His oeuvre consists of short, poetic prose pieces that do not easily fit into usual formal categories.

[2] He became well known throughout Vienna after the publication of a book of his fragmentary observations of women and children in everyday street activities.

Because most of his literary work was written while he frequented various Viennese bars and coffeehouses, Altenberg is sometimes referred to as a cabaret or coffee house poet.

Yet his admirers considered him to be a highly creative individual with a great love for the aesthetic, for nature, and for young girls.

[3] Some of the aphoristic poetry he wrote on the backs of postcards and scraps of paper were set to music by composer Alban Berg.

Altenberg, like many writers and artists, was constantly short of money, but he was adept at making friends, cultivating patrons, and convincing others to pay for his meals, his champagne, even his rent, with which he was frequently late.