 |
Rudolph EdelbergAustrian art historian.
Date of Birth: 17.04.1817
Country:  Austria |
Content:
- Rudolf Eitelberger: Pioneer of Art History in Austria
- Teaching Career and Editorial Involvement
- Shift Towards Art History
- Founding of the Vienna School of Art History
- Institutional Contributions
- Publications and Legacy
Rudolf Eitelberger: Pioneer of Art History in Austria
Early Life and EducationRudolf Eitelberger von Edelberg was born in Troppau (now Opava, Czech Republic) on February 3, 1817. The son of an army officer, he initially studied law at the University of Olomouc. However, his interest soon shifted to Romance philology, and he transferred to the University of Olomouc, where he earned his doctorate in 1842.
Teaching Career and Editorial Involvement
From 1839 to 1848, Eitelberger taught philological disciplines at the University of Vienna. During the revolutionary upheavals of 1848, he became editor of the "Wiener Zeitung," a newspaper sympathetic to the revolutionaries.
Shift Towards Art History
In the mid-1840s, Eitelberger's interests increasingly turned to art history. He organized a major exhibition of classical paintings in 1846, arranging them in chronological order. He also vehemently criticized the prevailing methods of teaching art.
Founding of the Vienna School of Art History
Eitelberger's activities attracted the attention of Count Leo Thun und Hohenstein, Austria's Minister of Culture. Thun proposed the establishment of a chair in art history at the University of Vienna with Eitelberger as its first occupant. However, Emperor Franz Joseph I initially rejected the proposal due to Eitelberger's perceived radicalism.
Undeterred, Thun sent Eitelberger on a study trip to Italy to enhance his professional qualifications. Upon his return, Thun resubmitted Eitelberger's candidacy, and in November 1852, Eitelberger became the first professor of art history in Austria and one of the earliest in Europe. His appointment marked the birth of the Vienna School of Art History.
Institutional Contributions
In addition to his teaching, Eitelberger established the Austrian Imperial Museum of Art and Industry in 1864. This museum played a pivotal role in the development of applied arts and industrial design in Austria.
Publications and Legacy
Eitelberger's scholarly output includes the two-volume catalog "Medieval Monuments of the Austrian Empire" (1858-1860), co-authored with Gustav Heider. He also founded the journal "Quellenschriften zur Kunstgeschichte" (Sources for Art History), which remains a valuable resource for art historians today.
Eitelberger passed away in Vienna on July 18, 1885. He is remembered as a visionary educator, a pioneer of art history, and a key figure in the development of Austria's cultural landscape.
