Mädchen Mit Rotblondem Haar

Hans Canon prints show the rich, old-master manner of one of the leading painters of Vienna's Ringstrasse era. Canon was a soldier turned painter who looked to Rubens and Titian, painted the imperial family and the explorers of the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition, and covered public buildings with grand allegories. Our collection of fine art prints includes his portraits, allegories, religious scenes and studies.

About Hans Canon

Hans Canon was the professional name of Johann Baptist Strašiřipka, born in Vienna on 15 March 1829. He enrolled briefly at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1845 and then studied privately with Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller and Carl Rahl. From 1847 to 1855 he served as an officer in the Austrian army, as a cuirassier in the Hungarian campaign and later in the artillery, which seems to have inspired the name "Canon".

After his service he travelled to England, France, Italy and the Middle East, and went to London with the explorer and patron Count Johann Nepomuk Wilczek to buy animals for the Schönbrunn Zoo. He lived in Karlsruhe from 1860 to 1869 and then in Stuttgart.

His success at the Vienna World's Fair of 1873, where the Emperor bought one of his paintings, brought him home in 1874. In 1875 Wilczek helped him win a commission to portray the men and ships of the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition. He went on to paint many portraits, including members of the imperial family, and monumental works for buildings on the Ringstrasse, above all the ceiling painting The Circle of Life in the Natural History Museum. He died suddenly in Vienna on 12 September 1885.

Style and Subjects

Canon was a painter of historicism, the Ringstrasse style that revived the grandeur of the past. He modelled himself on the old masters, especially Rubens and Titian, and his paintings have warm, glowing colour, rich fabrics and strong modelling of faces and bodies.

His subjects are portraits of Viennese society and actors, allegories of science and progress, Bible and saints' stories, and genre pictures such as fish sellers and kitchen scenes painted with Flemish gusto.

Famous Works

• Fisher Girl (1859), Schlossmuseum, Linz. An early genre painting of a young fisher girl.
• The Lodge of St John (1873), Vienna. A large allegorical group painting, about 3.2 metres tall.
• Girl with a Parrot (The Artist's Wife) (1876), Belvedere, Vienna. A portrait of his wife in rich costume with a parrot.
• Sailor of the North Pole Expedition (about 1875). One of his portraits of the men of the Austro-Hungarian Arctic expedition.
• Charlotte Wolter, Actress. A portrait of the celebrated Viennese actress.
• The Circle of Life (1884–1885), Natural History Museum, Vienna. His colossal ceiling painting for the museum's grand staircase.
• The Victory of Light over Darkness (1884–1885). An allegory from his last years.

Decorating with Canon Prints

Canon's portraits, with their dark backgrounds and warm skin tones, suit traditional rooms: a dining room, library or entrance hall with wood panelling, deep wall colours and gilt frames. A pair of portraits on either side of a fireplace looks especially fine.

His allegories and religious scenes have a grand, decorative feel for a stairway or long wall, while the genre pictures, such as Die Fischverkäuferin, bring a rustic note to a kitchen or breakfast room.

FAQ

Who was Hans Canon?

Hans Canon was an Austrian history and portrait painter who lived from 1829 to 1885. His real name was Johann Baptist Strašiřipka, and he was one of the leading painters of Vienna's Ringstrasse era.

Why did he call himself Canon?

He served in the Austrian army, including the artillery, which seems to have inspired the name. He also took it because Slavic names had become a handicap in the empire at the time.

What is Hans Canon's most famous work?

His colossal ceiling painting The Circle of Life (1884–1885) in Vienna's Natural History Museum is his best-known work. The Lodge of St John (1873) is also well known.

Who influenced Hans Canon?

He studied with Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller and Carl Rahl and modelled his style on the old masters, especially Rubens and Titian.

Where can I see Hans Canon's paintings?

Works are in Vienna's Belvedere, the Natural History Museum, the Leopold Museum and the University of Vienna, and in the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest.

Related Artists

• Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller: one of his teachers in Vienna
• Carl Rahl: his teacher, a leading Viennese history painter
• Hans Makart: his famous Viennese contemporary of the Ringstrasse era
• Anton Romako: Viennese painter of the same era