Exhibition is the first to shed light on the phenomenon of the princely painter

At the height of their meteoric careers, Frederic Lord Leighton, Hans Makart, Jan Matejko, Mihály von Munkácsy, Franz von Lenbach, Friedrich August von Kaulbach and Franz von Stuck were celebrated as princely painters (Malerfürsten, literally ‘painter-princes’) and enjoyed all the privileges of Europe’s high society. They were wealthy, respected and moved in the same elite circles as the rich and famous. Their homes and studios were notable for their splendour, and people thronged to have their portraits painted and to see their sensational pictures. Very few artists attained the lofty status of princely painters and the public honours this exalted position entailed. This exhibition is the first to shed light on the phenomenon of the princely painter which transcended national borders, reaching its apogee in the 1870s and 80s before fading away with the outbreak of the First World War. The exhibition focuses on the painters’ carefully crafted, highly stylised publi