Antonietta Brandeis

Austrian, 1848-1926

Antonietta Brandeis was born in Miskowitz, Austria in 1849. She studied under Karel Javurek in Prague before moving to Venice to become a pupil at the Academy.The development of international tourism in the nineteenth century meant that many more people were travelling to the beauty spots of Europe. Venice was a very popular destination for these travellers and the demand for paintings of Venice grew. This demand resulted in an influx of artists to Venice who all produced topographical views of the city and its environs.The presence of painters from Austria, such as Eugene de Blaas and F. R. Unterberger is not surprising in view of the fact that Venice was under Austrian rule for part of the century. Brandeis was another such artist. Her paintings were enormously popular and provided visitors with exquisite mementos of their time in the city. She painted the famous landmarks in intricate detail and captured the light and vitality which is the essence of Venice. Brandeis also went to Rome and Florence and painted there but it is her depictions of Venice which are the most sought after.