Joseph Altenkopf was an Austrian landscape painter.

As the son of a principal school principal , Altenkopf initially worked as a civil servant. However, this did not appeal to him, which is why he began a career as a teacher, but broke it off after a short time and devoted himself to art. He painted landscapes as oil paintings, for which he became famous. He also worked as director of an Esterházy gallery. In 1850 he exhibited his most famous works at the Austrian Art Association.