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January 24, 2026

Joseph Karl Stieler: The Master of Neoclassical Portraiture

Joseph Karl Stieler (1781–1858) was the preeminent court painter to the Bavarian kings and one of the most distinguished portrait artists of the Neoclassical era. He is most famously known for his extraordinary “Gallery of Beauties” (Schönheitengalerie), a collection of 36 portraits commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria to celebrate the most beautiful women from all social classes in Munich.

Stieler’s work is characterized by a meticulous attention to detail, a smooth, porcelain-like finish on the skin, and an ability to capture the profound inner dignity of his subjects. Beyond royalty and nobility, he produced one of the most iconic and enduring images in history: the 1820 portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven, which remains the definitive visual representation of the composer’s intense and brooding genius.

Stieler’s legacy lies in his unique ability to blend idealized beauty with psychological depth, making him a central figure in European Romantic and Neoclassical art.

Family Portrait of the Herzogs, Joseph von Sachsen-Altenburg

A Lady of the Petre Family Playing the Guitar

Alexander von Humboldt

Alexandra Iosifovna

Amalie von Schintling

Amalie von Württemberg

Augusta of Bavaria, Duchess of Leuchtenberg

Caroline Lizius

Caroline, Countess of Holnstein

Charlotte von Hagn

Crescentia, Princess of Oettingen-Wallerstein

Crown Prince Oscar of Sweden

Elisabeth, Freifrau von Oefele

Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Fredrika Dorotea Wilhelmina, Queen of Sweden

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling

Irene, Countess von Arco-Steppberg

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Karolina Lizius

Katerina Rosa Botzaris

King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes

Lady Jane Elizabeth Digby, Daughter of Admiral Henry Digby of Trafalgar

Lady Theresa Spence as Sappho

Lola Montez

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Maria Amalia

Marianna Marchesa Florenzi

Marie Anne, Princess of Bavaria

Marie Friederike Franziska Hedwig von Preussen

Marie, Queen of Bavaria

Mathilde von Jordan

Max, Duke of Bavaria, and Duchess Ludovica

Maximilian, Duke of Leuchtenberg

Maximiliane Borzaga

Nanette Heine, née Kaula

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