Belvedere Vienna Show Reunites Giovanni Battista Lampi the Elder and the Younger, Revealing Overpainted Works
A retrospective showcasing the works of Italian artists Giovanni Battista Lampi the Elder (Romeno, 1751 – Vienna, 1830) and Giovanni Battista Lampi the Younger (Trento, 1775 – Vienna, 1837) is currently on display at the Belvedere in Vienna, running until 11 October 2026. Entitled "Giovanni Battista Lampi the Elder and the Younger. Overpainted and Uncovered," the exhibition highlights restored pieces while exploring previous alterations. Lampi the Elder, known for his Neoclassical portraits, relocated to Vienna in 1783 and took on a professorship at the Vienna Academy in 1786. His son became part of the Academy in 1813. The show aims to contrast their artistic styles and clientele, shedding light on the lesser-known younger Lampi.
Key facts
- Exhibition at the Belvedere, Vienna, until 11 October 2026, at Upper Belvedere, Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27.
- Giovanni Battista Lampi the Elder (1751–1830) and Giovanni Battista Lampi the Younger (1775–1837) were Italian painters active in Vienna.
- Lampi the Elder moved to Vienna in 1783 and was appointed professor of history painting at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1786.
- Lampi the Younger moved to Vienna with his father in 1783 and became a member of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1813.
- A family portrait by Lampi the Elder was altered by another, less skilled painter into a commemorative monument.
- Lampi the Younger's "Sleeping Venus with Cupid before a Mirror" (1826) had its Cupid hidden by black varnish for over 180 years; research in 2022 revealed the covering, and Cupid was rediscovered in 2024.
- The exhibition contrasts the father's Neoclassical, aristocratic style with the son's Biedermeier, bourgeois-oriented approach.
- The show aims to increase public knowledge of Lampi the Younger, who remains little known even among art historians.
Entities
Artists
- Giovanni Battista Lampi the Elder
- Giovanni Battista Lampi the Younger
- Francesco Casanova
- Giacomo Casanova
- Catherine II
- Niccolò Lucarelli
- Johann Baptist Lampi the Elder
- Johann Baptist Lampi the Younger
- Caroline von Tomatis
- Viktor von Tomatis
Institutions
- Belvedere
- Upper Belvedere
- Vienna Academy of Fine Arts
- Artribune
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Romeno
- Trento
- Italy
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Salzburg