from a patron

Residence Gallery receives an imperial donation

The painting "The Artist's Daughter Anna" will be shown in a special exhibition from June.(Bild: RGS/Ghezzi)

The twelve works by Emperor Franz Joseph's court painter were painstakingly restored before being put on public display. Some of them are already on display in the Residence Gallery.

"The Residence Gallery has a remarkable collection of 19th century Austrian portrait painting. Anton Einsle as court painter to Emperor Franz Joseph was not previously represented in it," enthuses Andrea Stockhammer, Director of the Domquartier. Since Tuesday, the museum has been in possession of no fewer than twelve works by the Viennese painter.

Patron Anna Szalay (right) gave museum director Andrea Stockhammer great pleasure with the donation.(Bild: Neumayr Fotografie - Christian L)

This is thanks to the patron Anna Szalay. Her late husband was a direct descendant of Anton Einsle. For decades, the family kept the paintings at home with the utmost care. Szalay justifies the decision to give the valuable paintings to the Residenzgalerie with her conviction that "art should not remain hidden, but should be seen and experienced".

"David with the Head of Goliath" can be seen in the current exhibition until May 12.(Bild: RGS/Ghezzi)

Before the paintings could actually be shown in the Residenzgalerie, a few restoration measures had to be taken. For example, dirt and stains were carefully removed. It was also possible to restore around 40-year-old original frames for two of the paintings. A real test of patience: the decorative fragments of the frames were broken into several pieces.

The result can be seen for yourself from June 6 in the special exhibition "Face to Face - Austrian Portrait Painting of the 19th Century" in the Residenzgalerie. Two other paintings from the donation, "Apostles" and "David with the Head of Goliath", are on display in the current collection presentation until May 12.