Rudolf Hausleithner was an accomplished Austrian painter of religion, history, genre scenes and portraits.
Born the son of a teacher, Hausleithner was an academy man who studied at two of Europe’s foremost institutions - the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. As such, he was encouraged by his tutors to learn from the old masters, the foremost figures of the 16th and 17th centuries, while also analysing classical sculptures. Learning to draw was paramount, understanding the human form in all its complexity. Only then could he progress on to working with paint.
Following his training, head spinning with the works of Raphael, Michelangelo, Dürer and Rembrandt, he developed a reputation as a painter of historical, allegorical and genre subjects. History/allegory was a popular subject in the academic world, while genre scenes were fashionable with bourgeois patrons. In 1882, he produced his enchanting depiction of ‘Beethoven’s Vision’. There’s a Paolo Veronese quality to it.
Rudolf Hausleithner, Beethoven's Vision (1882)
He also became a portrait painter of distinction, celebrated for his depiction of Emperor Franz Joseph I among others. He produced numerous portraits for various dignitaries throughout his extensive career. Little is known about his activities in later life but it’s plausible that, like his father before him, he too became a teacher.
Exhibited
Vienna.
Timeline
1840
Born in Mannswörth near Schwechat, Austria, to Josef Hausleithner, a teacher, and Susanne Hausleithner (born Raidl).
Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Karl Mayer (1810-1876), Johann Nepomuk Geiger (1805-1880) and Carl Wurzinger (1817-1883).
Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich under Wilhelm von Kaulbach (1805-1874).
1858
Painted the ‘Baptism of Christ’ for the St. John the Baptist church in Mannswörth.
1863
Painted ‘Saint Paul’ for the parish church of Gars am Kamp.
1868
Began exhibiting regularly in Vienna.
1880
Produced a portrait of Franz Joseph I of Austria.
1918
Died in Vienna.