Carl Russ

The Viennese painter and printmaker, Carl Russ, is a fascinating, unconventional artist, whose work reveals stylistic contradictions and a tendency towards eclecticism that are typical of European art in the period around 1800. Russ studied under Christian Brand and Hubert Maurer at the Vienna Academy, where he specialised in historical genre painting. He received considerable stylistic inspiration from his acquaintance with Eberhard Wächter, who was active in Vienna from 1798 to 1808. Russ’s career took a fortunate turn with his appointment as court painter to Archduke Johann in 1810. His patron commissioned him to paint a monumental cycle of historical pictures dedicated to the Habsburg royal dynasty. Thanks to the Archduke’s protection, he was promoted to the position of senior curator at the Belvedere Gallery in 1821.

Russ earliest etchings made between 1807 and 1810, of varying format und subject, were published in 1810 or 1811 by the wellknown print publisher Artaria in Vienna in a set of nineteen which was called Eigene in Kupfer gebrachte Ideen von Karl Russ, Maler. A very fine, sharp impression with thread margins. Minor handling marks, otherwise in good condition. With two non identified collector‘s marks on the verso (Lugt 711a and 3549), annotated in pencil by the art dealer Franz Meyer, Dresden.