080100 PS Case Study II/III (Summer Course): Venetian Painters at the Viennese Imperial Court in the 18th C. (2024S)

In the eighteenth century and up to its final demise at the hands of Napoleon in 1797, the Republic of Venice increasingly lost political and economic weight, but nevertheless exerted an extraordinary force of attraction in the areas of art and culture, reaching a peak of international success. The Settecento saw the consolidation of important artistic ties between Venice and Vienna, which favoured the spread and reception of cultural models from the Veneto area beyond the Alps. The renowned tradition and high quality of Venetian art, supported by the progressive weaving of diplomatic, artistic, and patronage relations between Venice and Vienna, ensured excellent career opportunities at the Viennese imperial court for numerous exponents of the Venetian cultural milieu.
This case study aims to provide an overview of the developments of the eighteenth-century Venetian painting in Vienna through the artworks of its protagonists: Antonio Bellucci, Sebastiano Ricci, Rosalba Carriera, Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, Giambattista Pittoni, Federico Bencovich, and Bernardo Bellotto. The course offers a selection of art historical sources on the Venetian painters and their artistic activities at the Habsburg imperial court in the eighteenth century. At the core of this case study is the analysis of selected artworks of the above-mentioned Venetian painters that are still in situ (e.g. Liechtenstein Garden Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, Karlskirche, Salesianerinnenkirche, Kunsthistorisches Museum). Multiple aspects will be considered in the analysis of these paintings, including style and genre, artistic medium and techniques, iconography and iconology, and function and commission. The course will therefore include visits to sites housing Venetian artworks, which will also be the subject of on-site presentations and discussions.
After an initial introduction to the topic, further meetings will take place at some of the sights mentioned above. The visit will focus on direct observation and analysis of individual artworks. In this context, short presentations (ca. 10 minutes) will be given on individual Venetian paintings, followed by an exchange of ideas.
The remaining part of the course takes place in the classroom and is reserved for a general deepening of the topics at the centre of the case study: Presentations (20 minutes) will be given, followed by a discussion (10 minutes) aimed at deepening and discussing together the artistic activity of the Venetian personalities in question, with a focus on their artistic production in Vienna. These presentations will be held in groups.
Knowledge of Italian is helpful, but not a prerequisite for participation in the course.