Hong Kong Palace Museum | Odysseys of Art: Masterpieces Collected by the Princes of Liechtenstein

8001. Panels for the Liechtenstein Palace on Herrengasse

These wooden panels originally decorated the Liechtenstein Palace on Herrengasse in Vienna. In excellent condition, the panels with relief decoration fortunately survived the Palace’s demolition in 1913.

They were carved around 1792 after a design by the Austrian architect Joseph Hardtmuth. Joseph took charge of the Palace’s refurbishing in 1790 and delivered a holistic concept from the palace’s exterior to the details of its interior, including wall decorations, as well as furniture and furnaces. Joseph’s neoclassical design was embraced for its elegant simplicity. Once a bricklayer, stonemason, and a carpenter’s son, he became a successful inventor, manufacturer, and architect later.

Joseph’s legacy is still with us today, as he is credited with the invention of the pencil with graphite lead we all use.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

8002. Terra (Earth)

Look closely at this unusual portrait. Discover how the man’s face morphs into a pile of animals. His nose, for example, is the body of a furry brown rabbit.

The Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who served the court, was commissioned by the emperor to create four works, each depicting one of the Four Elements: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. In this work titled Earth, he skilfully combined a variety of land animals, while he painted the work Water with aquatic animals. And guess what he painted in the work Air? Many birds!

The painting Earth remained in the collection of the Austrian Habsburgs until it was donated to an Austrian museum and later entered the possession of a private collector. In 2015, Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein acquired the work for the Princely Collections.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

8003. Mars and Rhea Silvia (modello)

Known for his dynamic and inventive oil paintings of religious and mythological subjects, Peter Paul Rubens is one of the most influential European artists. Note the flying red cloak of the dashing figure Mars, the god of war. Rubens was very skilled at depicting details of characters in action, bringing his subjects to life with rich colours and dramatic representation.

Rubens drafted this preparatory study, which is called “modello”, based on the legend where the female figure here Rhea Silvia the priestess and guardian of the eternal fire met Mars and gave birth to their twins Romulus and Remus, who later became the legendary founders of Rome.

The figures appear to be left-handed as Mars wears his sword on his right to be used with his left hand; and Athena in the form of a sculpture on the upper right holds a spear in her left hand. Such details reveal that this image was a mirrored draft meant for tapestry-making, as the composition will be flipped horizontally in the weaving process.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

8004. View of the Estuary of the Canale di Cannaregio

Canaletto was an Italian painter most famous for depicting views of eighteenth-century Venice. He was able to bring life to scenes of the city, which was partly achieved by his play of light on buildings and water.

In this painting, he shows the arch bridge seen from the grand canal with the church of San Geremia and the Palazzo Labia on the left, as well as buildings of one of the world’s oldest Jewish ghetto in the back.

This painting first entered the Princely Collections over 200 years ago. It was sold in 1956 after the Second World War had prompted a financial necessity to do so. Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein reacquired this painting in 2007.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

8005. Portrait of Princess Marie Franziska von Liechtenstein at the Age of Two

This portrait of baby Princess Marie Franziska in a deep sleep, hugging a blue doll, is one of the most famous works in the Princely Collections. With sensitive brushwork and careful use of colours, the artist Friedrich von Amerling depicted the Princess in her endearing posture with chubby pink cheeks and soft curly hair.

From the 1830s to the 40s, Prince Alois II  von Liechtenstein commissioned one of the most outstanding Viennese painters of his time, Amerling to paint his children. The artist captured the likeness of Princesses Marie Franziska, portrayed here, as well as that of Karoline, Sophie, and the future Prince Johann II von Liechtenstein at the age of five, in a series of adorable and heart-warming paintings.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

8006. Bust of Maximilian II Emanuel (1662–1726), Elector of Bavaria

This almost life-size sculpture portrays Maximilian II Emanuel, who reigned Bavaria for 46 years since the late seventeenth century. He wears the medal- Order of the Golden Fleece which he received when he became the last governor of the Spanish Netherlands in 1692, as a symbol of his social status and honour.

Other elements of this sculpture communicate the prestige of a ruler. For example the lustrous curls of the wig, sophisticated lace neckcloth, and rich folds of the cloak were part of European men’s fashion statement at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The convincing depiction of these elements in bronze demonstrates the sculptor’s top-tier craftsmanship.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna

8007. The Chinese Pavilion at Lednice (Eisgrub), second state The Chinese Pavilion in the Park at Lednice (Eisgrub), original state

The Chinese Pavilion is located in the Princely Park at Lednice, Czech Republic. The cultural landscape complex in the Lednice-Valtice area were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The Pavilion reflects an interest in Chinese art in Europe and the influence of Chinese architecture on European garden design from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century.

The two works show the Pavilion before and after it was rebuilt. The print on the right shows the pavilion designed by the Austrian architect Joseph Hardtmuth in the late eighteenth century. Next to the print is the watercolour, which was painted 77 years later, showing the pavilion after its was reconstructed. Its vibrant palette and decorative splendour signal the knowledge of and interest in Chinese architecture in the mid-nineteenth- century Europe.

The watercolour tells us about how Chinese elements were understood and interpreted at the time. The text that adorns the exterior of the Pavilion has some formal resemblance to Chinese characters, but they are not legible, while the dragons on the roof might seem quite different from those depicted around the same time in China.

The Pavilion was demolished, and subsequently its contents inside, such as the lacquer objects, porcelains, and Chinese-style tapestries, were all transferred to the adjacent Lednice Castle.

© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna