Rudolf von Alt

Rudolf Ritter von Alt ( born August 28, 1812 in the Alservorstadt, now Vienna, † March 12 1905 in Vienna) was an Austrian painter and watercolorist.

Life

Rudolf von Alt was the son of the painter Jakob Alt (1789-1872) and his wife Maria Anna Schaller ( 1790-1872 ). He was born in the former suburb of Vienna Alservorstadt 136 (now Alserstraße 8). His younger brother Franz Alt (1821-1914) was also a painter. He learned from his father in his workshop and colored as a child whose lithographs. The father also took him frequently with him on his travels. At Christmas 1817 was in the house already old at that time still a whole new decorated Christmas tree.

1825-1832 was old student at the Vienna Academy, since 1826 in the landscape class of Josef Mössmer. Soon, he received a first prize in 1830 and presented for the first time there. Father and son made ​​outbound travel through the lands of the monarchy and worked so closely together that it is often not possible to determine by whom a particular image was created. The highlight of their collaboration were the so-called " picture-frame images " for the future Emperor Ferdinand I.

1835 Old learned on a study trip to Italy Moritz von Schwind know and the Bavarian King Ludwig I.. 1841 to her death in 1843 he was married to Hermione Oswald from Vienna, 1846 he married his second wife Berta Malitschek from Opava. In the revolutionary year 1848, Rudolf von Alt presented in Vienna as a citizen guard available. His family, he sent a precaution to the in-laws after Opava. As mid-October 1848, the events in the capital, the Civil Guards were old then too radical, he left together with the then sixteen -year-old Ludwig Passini ( 1832-1903 ) fled Vienna. In Lower Austria Traismauer they took together an emergency shelter at the inn Hofkirchner (now Gasthof zum Schwan ). In his memoirs he wrote, " I was in 1848, National Guard, but I went very soon after Traismauer, where my people lived ." On an envelope he held the situation firmly in quick sketch, and also painted in two documented works farmhouses in Traismauer.

In 1848 he also became a member of the Academy, but this was not confirmed until 1866 Imperial.

Old undertook study trips throughout Europe, 1863 to the Crimea in 1864 from Germany and 1867 to Italy. In 1867 he became a member of the Berlin Academy, 1879 Professor at the Vienna Academy. Even in old age he was interested in the latest developments in the art and, therefore, was in 1897 one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession, whose honorary president he was in the same year. Only this year, he was looking at the elevation to the peerage and was allowed his name from since the prepend.

Rudolf von Alt wrong like in the "Golden Lion" in der Josefstadt, where he associated with the literati Ludwig Anzengruber and Vincent Chiavacci.

Since 1841 he lived in the Skodagasse 11, where he died. Near the house is a plaque for him. He received an honorary grave in Vienna's Central Cemetery (Group 14 A, number 52 ), which was designed by Josef Engelhart.

Performance

Rudolf von Alt is one of the most popular artists of the 19th century in Vienna. His power lies in his mastery of watercolor. He created more than 1,000 watercolors, which topographically accurate and atmospherically moody, both landscapes and architecture, especially holding the Austria of that time. Only 100 times he put the Stephansdom in Wien represented known were his studio of painter Hans Makart. In addition to his watercolors painted Alt relatively few oil paintings. Only in 2011 could a catalog raisonné of approximately 150 oil paintings appear. Among his patrons was the art collector Jacob Gsell.

Honors

Works (excerpt)

• St. Stephen's Cathedral (Vienna, Belvedere, Inv. No. 2081 ), 1832, oil on canvas, 46 × 58 cm
• St. Stephen's Cathedral (Vienna Museum ), 1834, oil on canvas
• View the Strada Nuova against the Giardini in Venice Publicci (Vienna, Belvedere, Inv. No. 2082 ), 1834, oil on canvas, 46 × 63.5 cm
• The portal of the collegiate church Nonnberg (Vienna, Belvedere), 1848, oil on canvas, 36 × 27 cm
• St. Mark's Square in Venice with Austrian military (Vienna, Museum of Military History ), 1860, oil on paper on canvas, 35 × 44 cm
• View of the Imperial-Royal Military Museum at the Arsenal (Vienna, Museum of Military History ), 1857, watercolor on cardboard
• The Temple of Vesta in Rome (Vienna, Belvedere, Inv. No. 3800 ), after 1867, oil on canvas, 53 × 78.5 cm
• "Self- Portrait" (Vienna, privately owned), 1890, watercolor on wood ( subjects), 30 × 40 cm