Five important artistic centres of Baroque Europe are the focus of this exhibition: Italy, France, Holland, the Austrian Netherlands and Austria.
Differences and similarities are nowhere so noticeable as in painting. Selected masterpieces from the collection of the Residenzgalerie give insight into the living and working conditions of the painters and their position in the socio-political structure.
It is essential for art in Catholic and feudalistic countries, such as Italy or Austria, that orders come from the clergy or aristocracy; in the Protestant Republic of Holland, however, a free market for art already exists.
Apparent in the high-profile paintings are influences, inspiration and deciding developments, as well as freedom of art that knows no boundaries.
The presentation is rounded out by the video “Frankendael 2001” by the Dutch duo Erwin Driessens & Maria Verstappen. Their subtle video work shows footage of the historical park of the “Huize Frankendael” (Frankendael House), the only country house from the 17th century that has been preserved in the city of Amsterdam. Over the course of a year, a photo series was created which was assembled into an animation that in nine minutes visualises the changes of the seasons in a fascinating way.
Artists: Hendrik van Balen, Federico Barocci, Franҫois Boucher, Aelbert Cuyp, Gerard Dou, Gaspard Dughet, Frans Francken III., Luca Giordano, Jan van Goyen, Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Charles Le Brun, Jacques Philipp de Loutherbourg, Franz Anton Maulbertsch, Kaspar Memberger the Elder, Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Johann Georg Platzer, Paulus Potter, Rembrandt, Johann Michael Rottmayr, Peter Paul Rubens, Bernardo Strozzi, Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael, Salomon van Ruysdael, Paul Troger, Jan Weenix the Younger, Emanuel de Witte, Erwin Driessens & Maria Verstappen.
Concept: Dr. Erika Oehring
Curators: Dr. Thomas Habersatter, Dr. Erika Oehring, Mag. Astrid Ducke