Eugene de Blaas🎨 was born to Austrian parents. His father, Karl (1815-1894), teacher to him and his brother Julius became Professor at the Academy in Vienna and Venice, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
It was in Venice that Eugene de Blaas established himself as the leading painter of Venetian genre.
The golden Italian climate and the magnificent old stone facades had made Venice an essential stop on the Grand Tour since the early eighteenth century.
Past visitors had returned home with views and portraits; the late nineteenth visitor wanted more.
The affluent Venetian visitor wanted human interest, a sense of life by the canals and campos of the city, as a result of which, a school of artists developed to supply this market.
Native Italian artists including Antonio Ermolao Paoletti🎨 (1834-1912) and Antonio Rotta (1828-1903), Sir Samuel Luke Fildes, RA (1843-1927) and William Logsdail (1859-1944) from England, but above all Eugene de Blaas, depicted the life of fisherfolk, gondoliers and most notably the famed Venetian beauties.
These smiling, conversing, flirtatious ladies are often displayed against the pale, impressionistic, stonework of the city walls. One particular beauty, Paola Prina, married de Blaas in 1870 and is often depicted is his works.
The titles of his paintings “The Love Letter”, “Stolen Kiss”, “The Suitor”, with his highly polished technique, the depiction of embroidered lace, auburn hair and a coquettish glance, ensured that his paintings were of universal appeal.
Between 1875-1891 de Blaas exhibited twelve works at the Royal Academy, London.
By 1885 he was represented by the art dealer Arthur Tooth and Son in London before moving to his rival T. Maclean from 1886, also in London, an indication of the artist’s enduring popularity in Britain.
His works can be found in museums in: Bournemouth; Leicester; Nottingham; Sheffield; Vienna; Melbourne and Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales. | © Macconnal-Mason Gallery
Eugenio de Blaas, noto anche come Eugen von Blaas o Eugene de Blaas (Albano Laziale, 24 luglio 1843 - Venezia, 10 febbraio 1931), fu un pittore italo-austriaco del XIX e XX secolo.
Eugenio nacque a Albano, vicino a Roma, da genitori austriaci.
Suo padre Karl era un pittore nazareno, che nel 1856 si trasferì con la famiglia a Venezia, diventando professore presso l'Accademia di Venezia.
Studiò all'Accademia di Roma e all'Accademia di Venezia, allievo del padre Karl, dove subito si notarono i suoi progressi, nel 1860 vinse il premio Selvatico e già espose nelle sale dell'Accademia.
La sua prima opera di un certo rilievo è datata 1863 una pala d'altare per la parrocchiale di San Valentino di Merano (oggi nella Domus Mercatoruma di Bolzano).
Negli anni si susseguirono varie opere per lo più sul tema di paesaggi veneziani, raffigurato la vita dei pescatori, gondolieri e bellezze veneziane.
Fu anche ritrattista di nobili romani e veneziani, tra le opere più celebri spicca il ritratto dell'uomo Philip Richard Morris e della duchessa Ersilia Canevaro.
Espose in Italia e all'estero: a Vienna, a Londra fra il 1875-1892; a Parigi, Berlino, Monaco, Bruxelles e san Pietroburgo.
Dal 1884-1890 venne nominato Professore Onorario di Pittura all'Accademia di Venezia.
Morì a Venezia nel 1931.
Le sue opere sono esposte nei musei di Leicester, Melbourne, Nottingham, Sheffield, Sydney, Vienna e Trieste.
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