Artwork
View of Munich
View of Munich is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Bernardo Bellotto. It dates from 1761 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The medium and dimensions reflect the standard format for large-scale topographical views of the eighteenth century.
Bernardo Bellotto's View of Munich, created in 1761, is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 69.2 cm in height and 119.8 cm in width. Classified as a cityscape, the painting documents the urban landscape of Munich with the precise architectural detail characteristic of the artist's veduta style. The medium and dimensions reflect the standard format for large-scale topographical views of the eighteenth century.
History & Provenance
The painting was executed by Bernardo Bellotto in 1761, during his tenure in Munich as court painter to Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria.
Its early provenance traces to the collection of Augustus III, Elector of Saxony, before passing through the London art market to the Berlin dealer Karl Haberstock by April 1928. Haberstock retained at least one Bellotto View of Munich at least until 1936. By 1944 the work was with Dr. Gustav Mez in Rorschacherberg, Switzerland, and was later handled by Rosenberg and Stiebel in New York.
It entered the holdings of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1951 and was gifted to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1961.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection.
Its accession number is Kress no. 1961.1.11. The work has been exhibited only once in modern times, as part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection loan to the National Gallery of Art in 1961.
Legacy
The work's later influence, reputation, and legacy are anchored in its provenance and museum history. After appearing in the collection of Augustus III, elector of Saxony, the painting passed through the hands of Karl Haberstock, was acquired by Dr. Gustav Mez, and later entered the Samuel H. Kress Collection before being gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1961. Its inclusion in the Kress Collection and subsequent donation established it as a key example of Bernardo Bellotto's cityscape genre within a major American museum's holdings, reflecting its recognized artistic and historical significance.
The painting remains on view at the National Gallery of Art, where it contributes to the understanding of 18th-century European urban vistas and the legacy of Bernardo Bellotto.
Overview
Created around 1761, this oil on canvas presents a panoramic view of Munich. The work is a cityscape that captures the urban environment of the Bavarian capital in the mid‑eighteenth century, offering a visual record of its streets, rooftops and prominent structures.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Munich’s built environment, emphasizing the arrangement of streets and the silhouette of towers and roofs. By rendering the city with precise detail, the artist provides insight into the architectural character and spatial organization of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bernardo Bellotto, was an Italian urban landscape painter or vedutista, and printmaker in etching famous for his vedute of European cities – Dresden, Vienna, Turin, and Warsaw.
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