Rudolf von Alt

Austrian landscape and architectural painter, 1812-1905

Son of the lithographer Jakob Alt, he studied at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna. Hiking-trips through the Austrian Alps and northern Italy awoke a love for landscapes, and he painted with his brush using watercolors in a very realistic and detailed style. In 1833, inspired by a visit to Venice and neighbouring cities, he also made a number of architectural paintings. His later works came closer to Impressionism. He visited and worked for a while in Rome and returned multiple times to Italy. In 1863 he went to the Crimea to paint some views of an estate of the Empress. Most of his paintings are held by various museums in Vienna.