Hans Makart

Hans Makart's paintings use color and large figure groups to create historical and allegorical compositions. Costumes, draperies, and objects often help organize the image as much as individual actions do. His portraits bring some of the same interest in fabric and color into a more concentrated setting. Works such as Venice Pays Homage to Caterina Cornaro show how historical subject matter could become an expansive decorative arrangement intended to be seen as a whole.