Mihaly von ZICHY

Early Life

Mihály von Zichy was a significant representative of Hungarian romantic painting. Parallel to his law studies in Pest (1842), he attended Jakab Marastoni's art school as well. In 1844 he travelled to Vienna and became the student of Waldmüller. He painted his first major work, "Lifeboat" during this period. His former master Waldmüller recommended him to become an art teacher in St. Petersburg.

About his Art

He was commissioned to paint the portrait of Lajos Batthyány the first Hungarian prime minister in 1849.

From 1850 he worked as a restaurateur, but he also did pencil drawings, watercolors and oil paintings of portraits. His erotic drawings have a particular warm intensity in which both members of the couple seem equal partners.

He made illustrations to the play The Tragedy of Man written by Imre Madách in 1861.  His series on the Gatchina hunting ordered by the Russian tsar raised him to become a court artist. He established a foundation to support painters in need. He painted "Autodafé" on the horrors of the Spanish inquisition in 1868. He travelled around Europe in 1871 and settled down in Paris in 1874.

Artworks of Mihály von Zichy are available at the Kálmán Makláry Fine Arts.