Murillo, Velázquez, Leonardo da Vinci

About this artwork

[Vgl. Frodl, Makart, 2013, Kat. Nr. 433/3]

Art Historical Context

Hans Makart’s 1881 oil on canvas pays tribute to three towering figures of European painting:olomé Esteban Murillo, Diego Velázquez, and Leonardo da Vinci. Its unusually long, narrow format—measuring just 66 cm in height but stretching nearly three meters in width—suggests a frieze-like arrangement, most likely a sequence of portraits or emblematic heads that invites viewers to compare the distinct styles and eras of these masters. Painted at the height of Makart’s fame in Vienna, the work reflects the nineteenth-century fascination with the Old Masters and the desire to place contemporary Austrian art in dialogue with the great traditions of the Renaissance and Baroque. As a leading exponent of historicism, Makart often celebrated artistic heritage through richly colored, theatrical compositions; here the restrained dimensions and focused subject matter create an intimate gallery of genius rather than a grand spectacle. Today in the Belvedere Collection, the painting serves as a quiet reminder of how nineteenth-century artists looked back to their illustrious predecessors for inspiration and legitimacy. Its presence in Vienna underscores the city’s role as a crossroads of European culture, where the legacies of Italian, Spanish, and Northern traditions were continually reinterpreted.

About the Artist

Hans Makart · 1840–1884

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