In its 29th edition, the special presentation Point of View, which regularly presents different artworks temporarily in the permanent exhibition of the Picture Gallery of the Kunsthistorische Museum, focuses on a masterful portrait of the nine-month-old Princess Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily, allowing visitors to explore the work of the court painters Anton Raphael Mengs and Diego Velázquez.
Address
Picture Gallery, 1. Stock
Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
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Opening times
Tue - Sun, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thu until 9 pm
On average, visitors spend around 1.5 hours in the Picture Gallery.
Im Jahr 1770 kehrte Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779), der gefeierte Hofmaler König Karls III. von Spanien, nach Italien zurück, um sich zu erholen und zugleich Bildnisse im Auftrag seines Dienstherrn zu schaffen: In Neapel sollte er unter anderen die Familie von König Ferdinand IV. und dessen Gemahlin Maria Carolina von Österreich portraitieren. Als ein Höhepunkt dieser Arbeiten kann das jetzt frisch restaurierte Bildnis der Marie-Therese von Bourbon-Sizilien gelten, das die erstgeborene Tochter des Königspaares zeigt.
Infanta Margarita (1651–1673) in a pink Gown, 1654, Inv. Nr. GG 321
The portrait of the nine-month-old princess impresses with its artistic sophistication. Mengs created a work that combines traditional representation with a new naturalness and liveliness. The painting thus reflects a changed conception of childhood that spread in the 18th century - influenced by the pedagogical ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which Maria Carolina particularly appreciated.
Mengs‘ work also clearly shows references to the style of Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), his most important predecessor as a Spanish court painter. Particularly striking are the similarities with Velázquez‘s portrait of the Infanta Margarita in a Pink Gown. These concern not only to the pose and clothing, but also to the painterly technique: in no other painting by Mengs is his virtuoso brushwork expressed as succinctly as here, where dabs of color give shape and vibration to the embroidery and lace of the dress.
The portrait not only demonstrates Mengs' extraordinary ability to combine representation and personality, but possibly also reflects the dynastic interests of the subject's mother: Maria Carolina had the painting sent to the young lady's grandmother, Empress Maria Theresa, in Vienna. It is probably no coincidence that Mengs followed in the tradition of Velázquez's portraits of the Infanta, which were held in high esteem at the Habsburg court. Like the Infanta before her, Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily later became Empress of the Holy Roman Empire through the marriage to her cousin Francis II/I. (1790).
Diego Velázquez, Infanta Margarita in a Pink Gown, 1653/54.
"More Mengs" can be seen in Room VII of the Picture Gallery: four more brilliant paintings by the internationally active master, including an altarpiece that has not been on display for almost a century and was only recently extensively restored thanks to donations.
The special presentation Point of View is located on the first floor
The special presentation Point of View presents different works at regular intervals in the Picture Gallery of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
The Picture Gallery presents outstanding works by Early Netherlandish painters like Jan van Eyck, Flemish masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, and Early German artists like Albrecht Dürer, complemented by the unique collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
Our exhibitions take you back to the rich history of our museum. Here, proven masterpieces meet newly explored themes - a look at art, culture and the past that continuously illuminates the collection.
