(Vienna 1812-1905)
A View of the Upper Belvedere, Vienna, signed, dated R. Alt(1)872, watercolour, opaque white on paper, 24.7 x 37.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Sale, Sotheby’s, London, 22 November 1988, lot 12;
Art Trade, Peter Kovacek, Vienna 1989;
Collection of Dr. Otto Glaser (1926–2017), Dublin, Ireland;
His heirs - Private Collection, Ireland.

A certificate issued by Mag. Peter Kovacek, March 1989 is available upon request.

The Belvedere Palace in Vienna, built in two baroque building complexes between 1714 and 1723 by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt on behalf of Prince Eugene, is undoubtedly one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria.
The architecture of the upper Belvedere, originally built on the border of the outer line wall, today's Wiedner Gürtel, is of particular attraction. The individual pavilions of the elongated building fit together in a moving rhythm, held together by an unusually playful roofscape that gives the building its unmistakable silhouette.
The imperial art collection - today in the Kunsthistorische Museum Vienna - was housed here since 1776 and, like the park, has been open to the public since 1781. It is almost surprising that in Walter Koschatzky's catalog raisonné, this famous Baroque ensemble only appears five times in Rudolf von Alt's work. He painted it in variant views, the lower and upper palace as well as the interior rooms. The present painting is not included as it has not appeared in the art market before 1989.

In 1872, Rudolf von Alt, in his 60th year, was at the peak of his art. With his pointed brush, he virtuously captures the complex structure of the castle; ingeniously, the dramatic play of clouds underscores the baroque theatricality as well as the unique magic of the architecture. The numerous staffages of visitors and elegant strollers lend to its timeless aesthetic the charm of the moment and the touch of a bygone era.