The artistic legacy of the Schöfft family of painters is preserved in the countries Hungary, Croatia, Romania and Serbia. The workshop has been functioning between 1775 and 1850, founded by Joseph Schöfft (Doberchau, 1742 – Pest, 1808) the Elder, learned his craft in the workshop in Saxony. He arrived to Pest (today is a part of Budapest) through Vienna. In Pest he has been highly respected, which is testified by his workshop being the name-giver to „Malergasse”. Thanks to the research related to the exhibition, we were able to identify dozens of Joseph Schöfft the Elder’s works.
His son, Joseph Karl (Pest, 1776 – Pest, 1851) enrolled at the Academy of Arts in Vienna as a finished painter in 1802. He studied drawing from Hubert Maurer (1738–1818), and painting from Franz Caucig (Qavcic, 1755–1828). One more significant formal component is the following of the aulic elegance of Vienna, which has been mediated by Heinrich Füger (1751–1818) to the pupils, and inspired Joseph Karl in his theatrical compositions. By completing his studies at the academy, he earned the highest title „historical painter” (Historienmaler).
The eldest son of Joseph Karl, August Schöfft (Pest, 1809 – London, 1888) worked in the family workshop until his studies in Vienna from 1828. After his West European travels August come back for a short period to Pest. In 1835, he begun his travels around the world to build his career internationally. During his travels, he worked in India for the Sikh ruling house of Punjab and the Maharaja of Lahore, toured Mexico and the United States, and exhibited his paintings in Vienna, Paris and London.
The altarpiece compositions of the Schöfft workshop follow baroque examples, most of them were done after graphic pre-compositions, without many original ideas. Late baroque and classicism intertwines on their paintings, but after 1825 the romantic academism ends this period of the workshop. Most of the requests besides Pest-Buda (Tabán, Terézváros) came from newly built churches in the „Alföld” (Szabadka / Subotica, Cegléd, Kecskemét, Kiskunmajsa, Kiskunhalas, Szeged, Baja, Törökbecse / Novi Bečej etc.), which territory has been known to be the market of the masters from the capital in the 18th century. Their works came from orders from Győr to Máramarossziget (Sighetiu Mare), and from Esztergom to Suhopolje.
Joseph Karl and August painted both official and private portraits. Besides the members of the Schöfft family, they painted the Vojnich family, furthermore citizens of Pest. The most important portraits are of Count István Széchenyi, Archibishop and Cardinal Péter Pázmany, Francis I. Hungarian King and Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke Joseph of Austria and Prince Miloš Obrenović of Serbia. The magazine illustrations of Joseph Karl Schöfft are also important to mention.
Curator: Zsuzsanna Korhecz Papp, Mátyás Gödölle
