Wien, Michaelertor der Hofburg und altes Burgtheater

Rudolf von Alt's view of the Michaelertor (St. Michael's Gate) of the Vienna Hofburg and the old Burgtheater represents this master's unceasing documentation of Viennese urban life at a moment of intense transformation. The old Burgtheater on the Michaelerplatz — built in 1741, one of Europe's most significant theatrical institutions — was demolished in 1888 to make way for new construction, and Alt's recording of this scene in the year of demolition is an act of conscious urban preservation in paint. Alt, then eighty years old, had been documenting Vienna for six decades.

Alt's technique is precise and luminous: the specific quality of Viennese light on stone, stucco, and the glass lanterns of the gateway is captured with delicate attention to tone and reflection. The architectural precision that marks all his urban work is combined with an atmospheric sensitivity unusual for a topographic painter.