Julius Schmid
1854–1935 · Viennese painter, best known for his scene of Schubert
Julius Schmid (Vienna, 1854 – 1935) was a Viennese painter of the turn of the century, remembered mainly for his work on Franz Schubert, the Schubertiade (also known as Schubertabend). His name faded during the twentieth century, so he is now a little-known figure outside specialist circles of Austrian painting of his time.
Born in Vienna, Schmid spent seven years at the city's Academy of Fine Arts. In 1878 he won the Prix de Rome, which allowed him two years of study in Rome. He then decided to travel around Italy to refine his craft. During his training he was briefly taught by Hans Makart, a teacher who also trained Gustav Klimt.
His painting of Beethoven, set in a natural landscape, had an unexpected afterlife: it served as the cover image of the 18 March 1927 issue of The Radio Times. Although his work never reached the fame of some of his contemporaries, it remains a documented example of musical subjects in late Viennese painting.
Works (1)
This painting shows Ludwig van Beethoven taking a walk through a natural landscape, as its German title, roughly 'Beethoven on a walk in nature', indicates. The record attributes it to Julius Schmid, but offers no further information about its date, commission or context. Any reading of the picture must therefore stay with its subject: the composer placed within a rural setting.