Die Niljagd

About this artwork

„Es ist eine wahre Götterlust auf so großer Leinwand herumschmieren zu können, ich werde mich befließen nichts kleines mehr zu malen“, schreibt Hans Makart Mitte der 1860er-Jahre in einem Brief an seine Mutter. Doch wie bewältigt der Maler ein derartiges Format überhaupt? Eine Vorrichtung im Atelier des Künstlers ermöglicht ihm, die Leinwand in den darunterliegenden Kellerraum abzusenken, um so zu den sonst unzugänglichen Bereichen zu gelangen. In nur drei Wochen malt Makart dieses Bild für die ...

Art Historical Context

Hans Makart’s monumental *Die Niljagd* (The Nile Hunt), painted in 1876, exemplifies the artist’s passion for working on an enormous scale. Measuring over four and a half meters wide the oil-on-canvas scene was completed in just three weeks for the Munich Art and Crafts Exhibition. Makart achieved this feat with the help of a special studio mechanism that lowered the vast canvas into a cellar, allowing him to reach every corner. In a letter from the mid-1860s, he expressed his delight at painting “nothing small anymore,” and this work fully realizes that ambition. A recent stay in Cairo inspired the subject—an exotic, imagined vision of ancient Egypt rather than a strictly historical depiction. Makart’s focus lies in creating a fairy-tale atmosphere filled with dramatic action and rich color, typical of his approach across many paintings. The result invites viewers to step into a romanticized world where fantasy and spectacle take center stage. Today in the Belvedere Collection in Vienna, *Die Niljagd* demonstrates Makart’s ability to transform personal travel impressions into grand, immersive compositions that captivated 19th-century audiences.

About the Artist

Hans Makart · 1840–1884

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