Hans Makart

Early life

Hans Makart was born on 24 May 1840 in Salzburg, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was the second son of a modest craftsman family; his father worked as a carpenter, which gave the young Makart early exposure to materiality and design. Demonstrating artistic talent from an early age, he received his first drawing lessons from a local schoolmaster before enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1857. There he studied under the history painter Christian Griepenkerl and the portraitist Karl von Blaas, absorbing the academic rigour of the Viennese Academy while also encountering the burgeoning historicist currents that dominated mid‑century Austrian art.

During his student years Makart travelled to Italy, copying works by the Renaissance masters in Florence and Rome. The experience deepened his appreciation for dramatic narrative and colour, themes that would later define his mature output. He returned to Vienna in the early 1860s, where he began to exhibit at the Academy’s annual shows and earned a modest reputation for his skillful handling of large compositions.

Career and style

Makart’s breakthrough came with the 1868 exhibition of his monumental canvas *The Triumph of the House of Habsburg*, a work that combined historic subject matter with a sumptuous, almost theatrical visual language. The success secured him commissions for public murals, theatre decorations, and private portraits. By the 1870s Makart had become the leading figure of Austrian historicism, a movement that sought to glorify national history through grand, academically trained painting.

Stylistically, Makart merged the academic tradition with a pronounced Orientalist sensibility. He drew inspiration from the exoticism of French Orientalist painters such as Delacroix, yet filtered it through a distinctly Viennese taste for opulence. His canvases are characterised by a rich, saturated palette—especially deep reds, golds and blues—paired with dramatic chiaroscuro that heightens the sense of theatricality. Makart’s subjects often centre on historical or mythological narratives, but he infused them with contemporary sensuality, making the distant past feel immediate and emotionally charged.

Beyond easel painting, Makart was an influential designer. He supplied decorative schemes for the Burgtheater, the Vienna State Opera, and numerous aristocratic salons. His approach to interior design echoed his pictorial style: lavish fabrics, gilded ornamentation, and a seamless integration of painting, sculpture and architecture. In 1877 he was appointed professor at the Academy, and in 1881 he became director of the newly founded Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Applied Arts), where he advocated for a synthesis of fine and decorative arts.

Signature techniques

Makart’s technique can be identified through several recurring elements:

* Rich colour harmonies – He layered glazes of oil to achieve luminous depth, favouring jewel‑tone reds and golds that dominate his larger canvases. * Theatrical lighting – Strong directional light often illuminates a central figure, while the surrounding space recedes into shadow, creating a stage‑like effect. * Monumental scale – Many of his histories span over two metres in height, demanding a physical presence that overwhelms the viewer. * Ornamental detail – Whether in the intricate drapery of a Roman costume or the patterned textiles of an Oriental setting, Makart rendered surface texture with meticulous care. * Dynamic composition – Figures are arranged in sweeping diagonal lines, suggesting movement and emotional intensity. * Integration of decorative motifs – Border paintings, gilded frames and patterned backgrounds often blur the line between the canvas and its surrounding décor.

These techniques together convey a sense of spectacle, aligning Makart’s paintings with the grand productions of the Viennese theatre world.

Major works

### The Entrance of Emperor Charles V into Antwerp in 1520 (1878)

This monumental canvas, measuring roughly 3 m × 5 m, portrays the triumphant arrival of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in Antwerp. Makart placed the emperor on a richly draped horse, surrounded by a bustling crowd of merchants and townspeople. The composition is dominated by a dramatic sky streaked with gold, while the foreground glows with the warm light of torches, emphasising the ceremonial grandeur.

### The Five Senses (1872)

A series of five allegorical paintings, each representing a different sense, *The Five Senses* exemplifies Makart’s ability to fuse academic figuration with sensual, often erotic, undertones. The works feature semi‑nude models in lush, exotic settings, each surrounded by symbolic objects—musical instruments for hearing, fragrant flowers for smell, and so forth. The series was praised for its vivid colour and its daring treatment of the human body.

### The Falconess (1880)

A portrait of a young woman holding a trained falcon, *The Falconess* is notable for its intimate scale compared with Makart’s grand histories. The painting showcases his mastery of texture: the glossy plumage of the bird, the silk of the woman’s dress, and the polished mahogany of the background are rendered with meticulous detail. The work reflects the artist’s interest in aristocratic leisure pursuits and the fashionable fascination with exotic pets.

### Cleopatra (1874)

Makart’s *Cleopatra* presents the Egyptian queen at the moment of her famed suicide, surrounded by sumptuous drapery and a cascade of jewels. The composition is infused with Orientalist motifs—intricate gold filigree, deep lapis‑blue fabrics, and a stylised desert backdrop. Makart’s use of strong red lighting highlights the drama of the scene, while the queen’s languid pose conveys both sensuality and tragedy.

### Charlotte Wolter as Messalina (1875)

This portrait captures the celebrated Austrian actress Charlotte Wolter in the role of the Roman Empress Messalina. Makart rendered Wolter’s features with idealised classicism, while the costume—a richly embroidered gown with a low neckline—reflects his fascination with historical costume design. The painting was exhibited to great acclaim, cementing Makart’s reputation as a painter of theatrical personalities.

Influence and legacy

Hans Makart’s impact on Austrian art extended far beyond his own prolific output. As a professor and later director of the Kunstgewerbeschule, he shaped a generation of artists who would later spearhead the Vienna Secession, most notably Gustav Klimt. Klimt’s early works echo Makart’s lush palette and decorative sensibility, and Klimt later acknowledged Makart as a key mentor.

Makart’s synthesis of fine‑art painting with decorative design helped lay the groundwork for the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) movement in Central Europe. His emphasis on colour, surface ornament, and theatricality resonated with designers such as Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, who sought to unite art and everyday objects.

In the realm of theatrical design, Makart’s stage‑set paintings influenced the visual language of 19th‑century opera productions, where his dramatic lighting and opulent costumes became a model for creating immersive spectacles. Though his reputation waned in the early 20th century as modernist abstraction took hold, recent scholarship has revived interest in his role as a conduit between academic historicism and the decorative innovations that followed.

Today, Makart’s works are held in major European collections, including the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the National Gallery in Prague. His legacy endures in the continued study of 19th‑century Viennese art, where he is recognised as a pivotal figure who bridged the academic tradition and the emerging modern aesthetic.