The ‘poor cadet’ turned art collector
Albertina exhibition recalls the work of its founder
MúzeumCafé 41.
After the early death of his beloved spouse Archduchess Christina (1742–1798), Prince Albert von Sachsen-Teschen (1738–1822) returned to live in his Viennese palace, which at the time was called the Tarouca, but today is named the Albertina after its former resident. Prince Albert spent most of his time here, in the rooms of the palace that housed his collection of drawings, prints, paintings and books. Of course, there was enough for him to look at – at the time of his death the collection included 14,000 drawings and 200,000 prints. However, today the Albertina is considered the world’s number one collection of graphic art not only because of its size but also because of the quality it contains. In this internationally famous museum you can find exceptional works such as Michelangelo male nudes and Dürer’s well-known pen-and-wash drawing of a hare, the provenance of which can be traced back all the way to the artist. Its reproduction appears on the cover of the catalogue for the exhibition Dürer, Michelangelo, Rubens – 100 Masterworks of the Albertina, which opened on 14 March and runs until 29 June. Part of the collection became public in 1805, initially for academy professors, artists and art students. The works of art were kept in ornate, gilded drawers and portfolios. In 1795 Albert turned his back on his military career and following the death of his wife in 1798 he withdrew from social life, devoting his last two decades exclusively to his collection. In his will, which was drawn up in 1816, he ensured that the collection would not be broken up and dispersed, passing ownership to his adopted son and general inheritor, Archduke Charles. Today the Albertina houses more than 50,000 drawings and 900,000 prints. The structure of the collection has hardly changed since 1776.