Face to Face: 19th-century Austrian portrait painting

As the political system in Austria seemed, at least on the surface, to grow more liberal in the second half of the 19th century – with absolute monarchy being nominally constrained by a constitution and, eventually, a parliament – so did the arts. Where portraiture had been the preserve of the nobility, members of the bourgeoisie began to commission portraits of themselves – and to paint each other. This democratisation coincided with the advent of photography, which spurred artists to get creative with colours, styles and techniques. On display in this exhibition at DomQuartier – a baroque complex that was once the seat of the Salzburg Prince-Archbishops – are paintings of rulers, families and children as well as self-portraits; highlights include a luminous portrait of an unknown woman by Gustav Klimt and a lively self-portrait by Fritz Schider, who depicts himself inspecting one of his own drawings in his studio (6 June–29 September).

Find out more from the DomQuartier’s website.
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Anna Hüffel, née Einsle (c. 1870), Anton Einsle. Photo: © RGS/Ghezzi

Self-portrait of the Artist in his Studio (1892/1902), Fritz Schider. Photo: © Salzburg Museum

Amalie Makart (c. 1871), Hans Makart. Photo: © RGS/Ghezzi