15: Prince Savoy's Beautiful View

Prince Eugene of Savoy is one of the most interesting characters of classic Viennese history. As the youngest of eight children, born to Olympia Mancini of France, Eugene Savoy did not appear to be destined for greatness. Because of his mother's close ties with Louis XIV, Eugene was prepped for a the life of a monk, making his career in church. His physical appearance was often disparaged by the French leaders and aristocrats, his slight build and delicate constitution at the receiving end of many jabs. However, Eugene had no interest in pursuing a life in the Church as directed by Louis XIV: he wanted to become a military man.

c. 1712.

While known for his brilliant military strategy, Prince Eugene of Savoy was also reputed to be gay. He never married, which was quite rare for an accomplished general and someone of his status. Popular soldier's rhymes of the day poked fun at his sexuality.

He appealed to King Louis, asking to be in command of a French army unit. Louis dismissed him outright, due to the deterioration of his relationship with Eugene's mother. Determined to follow his military calling, Eugene defected to Austria. He rose in the ranks of the Austrian army, declaring his allegiance to Emperor Leopold I. His brilliant strategizing and superb abilities led him to become one of the most celebrated military strategists of all time, enjoying the spoils of many victories. In 1718, he conquered the Turks, and as a reward for his service to the Austrian empire, a baroque mansion was built. What is now the upper and lower Belvedere was commissioned by Savoy, where he resided in the lower structure. The upper Belvedere now holds an extensive collection of art, including Gustav Klimt's The Kiss.

Upper Belvedere.

The garden and view of lower Belvedere. 

Gustav Klimt's The Kiss, which everyone comes to see. Many tourists were crowded around the painting. 

While the Belvedere houses many works of Klimt's currently, his paintings were once seized by the Nazis in WW2. The movie "The Woman in Gold" details the journey of Adele Bloch-Bauer's portrait as painted by Klimt, an exquisite piece commissioned by Adele's husband. Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy Jewish businessman, commissioned Klimt to paint Adele's portrait as a gift to her family. While the picture remained in the family through 1939, Nazis had come to power and accused the Jewish family of tax evasion. Ordering them to surrender their assets, the ownership of the painting was transferred to the Reich. It remained under state ownership until the late 1990s, when Austria formed a restitution committee to return stolen works to their rightful owners. However, Adele's Klimt portrait remained at the heart of a fierce legal battle, wherein Austria refused to give up its iconic treasure which was housed at the Belvedere. It was finally returned to Maria Altmann, niece of Adele and Ferdinand, in 2006. She then sold the work at auction, where it now remains in the private collection of a Chinese buyer. 

This incredibly tragic story has no good ending - the work, seized by fascists, now remains unseen by the world. While the original family certainly deserves ownership at the hands of a seized work, the hoarding of an iconic treasure at the hands of a wealthy collector does the world no favors.

Thankfully, many beautiful works remain on display at the Belvedere. (Though perhaps this raises the difficult question of artworks that were not able to be returned to Jewish families after WW2, due to entire family lineages being eliminated in the Holocaust, and there being no identifiable "next of kin.")

My very favorite piece at the Belvedere, done by Egon Schiele. A contemporary of Klimt's, Schele's work demonstrates a darker and edgier tone.