Where can I see Erzherzog Karl II. (1540-1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, Kniestück?

Erzherzog Karl II. (1540-1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, Kniestück is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is Erzherzog Karl II. (1540-1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, Kniestück?

Erzherzog Karl II. (1540-1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, Kniestück is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Erzherzog Karl II. (1540-1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, Kniestück

Erzherzog Karl II. (1540-1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, Kniestück is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Unknown. It dates from 1569 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The work is an oil painting on panel, titled Erzherzog Karl II.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on the figure of Charles II, emphasizing his status and identity as the Archduke of Austria.

The painting depicts Charles II, Archduke of Austria, presented as a half-length portrait. The work functions as a formal representation of the ruler, capturing his likeness in 1569. While the title references a view of Graz, the available documentation confirms the primary subject is the Archduke himself, establishing the piece as a dynastic portrait rather than a landscape study.

The composition centers on the figure of Charles II, emphasizing his status and identity as the Archduke of Austria.

Technique & Style

This 1569 portrait of Archduke Charles II is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support and medium combination typical of mid-to-late sixteenth-century Habsburg portraiture. The work is a half-length kneeling-piece (Kniestück) format, with the canvas measuring 118 cm in height by 112.5 cm in width, producing a nearly square field suited to the sitter's three-quarter pose and his outward gaze toward Graz.

The painting is classified as a portrait and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, attributed to the Monogrammist LP, an artist associated with the workshop milieu at Schloss Ambras in Innsbruck. Stylistically, the composition centers on the archduke as the sole main subject, with the handling of oil on canvas allowing for the layered modeling characteristic of court portraiture of the period.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1569, as recorded by its date of inception. It is attributed to the Monogrammist LP and depicts Charles II, Archduke of Austria (1540–1590). The work entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains. It is also associated with Schloss Ambras Innsbruck in source records.

The painting is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Its inventory number is 1923. The work was formerly at Schloss Ambras Innsbruck before entering the museum's collection. No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.

Overview

The work is an oil painting on panel, titled Erzherzog Karl II. (1540‑1590) mit dem Blick auf Graz, depicting a seated figure in a richly patterned red‑and‑yellow costume. He holds a small dog on a leash, and a dark wooden frame encloses a distant landscape of a castle perched among green hills.