Franz Anton
Maulberch

Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker. Studied with his father, a provincial painter A. Malberti. From 1739 he studied at the Vienna Academy of fine arts, K. and J. van Pristera Subpena. Worked in many cities of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Vienna, Dresden, Innsbruck (1775-1776). From 1759 is a member of the Vienna Academy of arts, 1770 — Professor. From 1789 Professor of the Berlin Academy. Wrote altar images of easel paintings allegorical and secular, performed a large number of monumental murals. In easel works is often put instead of signing your copyright symbol — the image of the branches of the mulberry tree.

Started working in Langenargen, where in the middle. 1740 x played altar image for churches. Independently documented early works belong to 1748-1749. On the current manner Mulberge as a master of Baroque show of paintings in the Church of SV. Michael in Vienna (1748-1749), the altar images of the adoration of the Magi (Bodensee Museum), St. Nepomuk distributing alms (1748-1749, Bremen, Kunsthalle), the Circumcision of Christ (1748-1749, Budapest, Museum of fine arts), painting the Sacrifice of Iphigenia (1750, Warsaw, NAT. gallery). Diagonal composition in a vertically elongated space of the paintings, the dark background against which the light sharply distinguished figures of the main characters, sketch expressive brushstroke make a dramatic note in this artist's work. Great gift Mulberge as a decorative painter, his interest in the color of the Venetian masters is evident in the paintings of Judith with the head Holofernes (1750-e, Moscow, GOS. Museum of fine arts. A. S. Pushkin), Susanna and the elders (CA. 1750, Vienna, Austrian Gallery painting). In a wide dynamic manner usually written and sketches, and sometimes the freedom of hand and lightness of the drawing they are superior to the finished composition (the Baptism of the eunuch by the Apostle Philip, approx. 1750, St. Petersburg, State. The Hermitage). The pursuit of more rigorous, orderly compositions marked altar images of SV. relatives (1752-1753, Vienna, Austrian Gallery of paintings) and Elazari and Rebekah (1752-1753, Brno, Museum of art), which also reflected the rich imagination of the artist, his ability to convey the characters emotions, to turn the biblical story into a fairy tale. Without interest to reliable transmission environment and of the plein air full of rare creativity Malberti paintings on modern stories (In the artist's Studio, 1753-1754, Lawrence art Museum, University of Kansas, USA; Concert in the open air, 1753-1754, Baltimore Museum of art). His early monumental paintings are characterized by a light bright color, the illusory perspectival space, a small, free-floating figures (Scenes from the life of Christ, 1757-1758, Sümeg, parish Church; scenes from the history of Czech bishops, kroměříž, Bishop's castle). In the later frescoes of the abundance of allegorical and historical characters, the scenes in the landscape or their inclusion in the form of small paintings in a neo-classical architectural decoration, the frequent appeal to the grisaille technique show the influence of classicism (painting Hofburg Palace, Vienna; Court chapel frescoes on biblical subjects, 1773, győr Cathedral; altarpieces and frescoes on subjects from the Scriptures, 1775-1776, Innsbruck; allegorical scenes glorifying the wealth of Tyrol. Vienna, Vienna; allegorical scenes at the library of the monastery of premonstrants glorifying science, 1794, Prague, Strahov). Equally overloaded with figures of the late easel paintings on mythological (Prometheus with Pandora and Phaeton, CA. 1788, Munich, private collection), historical (Coriolanus in Rome, 1790-1793, Stuttgart, GOS. art gallery) and allegorical subjects (Allegory of Galicia, 1792, Vienna, Austrian Gallery painting). In the altar the images of the 1760-1770's contrasts of light and shade revealed a less dramatic, more finely and variously developed tonal gradation. The figures of the saints still lose the fragility and exaggerated elongation of proportions, gain more specificity. Suddenly, in the later works of the artist are the titles of paintings Puppeteer (1785, Nuremberg, German NAT. Museum) and the Soldiers ' scene (1785-1786, Vienna, Austrian Gallery of painting) in grotesque form of reproducing scenes from modern people's life. Creativity Malberti, the greatest master of the Austrian Baroque, consistently reflecting changes in European culture of the XVIII century.