Franz Anton Zauner, born in 1746 in Kaunerberg, Tyrol, was an Austrian sculptor and a proponent of Early Classicism, succeeding Georg Raphael Donner.
Zauner studied in Vienna and advanced in his career to become a teacher in 1781. He was appointed professor and councillor at the Academy in Vienna in 1796 and ascended to the role of director of the painters' and sculptors' class in 1806.
Among his major works are the equestrian statue of Joseph II, for which he was awarded the title "Edler von Falpetan" by Emperor Franz I in 1807, and the cenotaph of Leopold II located in the Augustinian Church in Vienna. He also designed the tomb of Field Marshal Laudon in Hadersdorf. Zauner was particularly active in countering the mannered style of the sculpture of his era, and he championed a deeper study of antiquity.