View of Castellammare
Joseph Rebell, 1821, oil on canvas, cm 97x136
(Vienna 1787 – Dresda 1828)
Joseph Rebell studied at the Vienna Academy initially as an architectural draughtsman before specializing in landscape art. Following a stay in Milan, he worked in Naples from 1813 to 1815 under the patronage of Caroline Bonaparte, wife of Joachim Murat. The acclaim for his work led Emperor Francis I to appoint him, in 1824, Director of the Imperial Belvedere Gallery and Professor at the Vienna Academy. He died prematurely at the age of 41 during a journey to Dresden. The painter was among the first to explore the Amalfi Coast from the sea, captivated by the Romantic scenery of the Mediterranean. This majestic 1821 View of Castellammare belongs to his celebrated coastal production, distinguished by its vast atmospheric perspective and scenographic use of natural framing, qualities that secured him prestigious commissions from Prince Aloys von Kaunitz-Rietberg and the Viennese court.
