The works from the collections of the Bratislava City Gallery currently on display represent Central European artistic production of the 18th century. The paintings and sculptures were carefully selected to present as comprehensively as possible the artistic scene of Baroque-era Bratislava, placed within a broader Central European context.

Bratislava City Gallery – Mirbach Palace

During the Baroque era, art was primarily commissioned by high-ranking secular and ecclesiastical figures who used Baroque artistic means to express their status. Patronage was also a common reason artists were drawn to Bratislava.

One outstanding artist who settled in the present-day Slovak capital to serve Archbishop Imrich Esterházy was Jozef Kurtz. In addition to painting the archbishop’s portrait, he completed other church commissions. One of the most intriguing Kurtz works in the BCG collection is his depiction of St. John of Nepomuk, which skillfully blends the dominant religious motif with a secular one – the Bratislava Castle in the background.

The work of the talented painter Franz Anton Palko is represented in the exhibition by two impressive altarpieces originally from the Church of the Poor Clares in Bratislava: The Annunciation to the Virgin Mary and Saint Clare. In addition to these large canvases, there are more intimate oil paintings, again depicting St. John of Nepomuk and St. Hubert.

Among the portraitists born and active in Bratislava, Daniel Schmidely stood out. He painted not only aristocrats but also members of the royal family. His Portrait of Johanna de Walderode is one of the top five works from the so-called Blue Ladies portrait series and one of only two signed by the artist himself.

Sculptural works in the permanent exhibition are mostly by unknown artists. A notable exception includes two finely carved wooden statues of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist by Andreas Johann Eglauer, and the strikingly realistic sculptures Capuchin Friar and Character Heads by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.

The core of the collection features works by painters such as Josef Kurtz, Daniel Schmidely, Paul Troger, Franz Anton Palko, and Franz Anton Maulbertsch, and sculptors Andreas Johann Eglauer and Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.

Curator: Mgr. Dominika Zbončáková
Original exhibition concept: PhDr. Želmíra Grajciarová, Mgr. Jana Luková

Admission:

• Regular: €6
• Discounted (students, seniors, teachers, persons with disabilities): €3
• Family (2 adults + 2 children): €12