Andrea Markò (1824-1895) - Paesaggio

Andrea Markò (Vienna, 1824 – Viareggio, 1895), Landscape, paper tempera; the sole work measures 33x14 cm, signed bottom right. Excellent condition in a contemporary gilt frame.

Born in Vienna in 1824, Andrea Markó received his initial training from his father, the renowned Károly Markó the Elder, and refined his skills at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under Carl Rahl. Following in his father’s and his brother Carlo the Younger’s footsteps, he settled in Italy, choosing Florence as his operational center. His career was international and prolific: he traveled extensively throughout Europe, documenting not only Italian landscapes but also the remote lands of Russia.
His historical importance lies especially in the contribution to the birth of the Scuola di Staggia. Together with his brother Carlo and Serafino De Tivoli, Markó began to depict the Sienese countryside with an innovative approach, opening the road to the Macchiaioli movement. Recognized as a master of his time, he earned prestigious prizes at the Florence Exhibition (1860) and at the Vienna International Exhibition (1873). He was named professor at the academies of Florence, Urbino and Milan, as well as a member of the Society of Watercolorists of Brussels. He died in Viareggio in 1895.

Markó’s work stands out for its skillful use of earth tones and the capacity to depict vast, expansive landscapes animated by tiny human or animal figures, which give the scenes a sense of depth and epic breadth. His style represents a fascinating transition between the classical “ideal” landscape and the new plein air, macchia-like painting, more attentive to atmospheric truth and to the natural data captured en plein air. His production is extremely varied: from dramatic scenes to snowy Russian landscapes, to the famous depictions of the Tuscan Maremma. His canvases are characterized by a meticulous technique that never sacrifices the rendering of light, making his paintings highly sought after by European and American collectors. Markó possessed the rare ability to ennoble the rural landscape, turning views of woods or valleys into compositions of great academic rigor and poetic resonance, serving as a cultural bridge between the Viennese academic tradition and Italian modernity.