Joseph Hickel (19 March 1736 – 28 March 1807) was a prominent portraitist born in Böhmisch-Leipa, who built a successful career as the imperial-royal court painter (k.k. Kammermaler) to the Habsburg monarchy in Vienna.
His most notable body of work consists of his definitive portraits of Emperor Joseph II, which became central to the visual identity and philosophical spirit of the Josephinian Enlightenment.
A student of Martin van Meytens, Hickel departed from the opulent Baroque traditions of his mentor, transitioning Viennese portraiture toward a more restrained, psychologically grounded aesthetic aligned with Early Classicism.
Biography
Hickel received his initial training from his father, Johann Hickel (1705–1778), a Prague-born painter who worked in Böhmisch-Leipa (now Česká Lípa). Showing a rare early mastery of the medium, Hickel was executing complex compositions in oil by the age of 12—an exceptional development recorded by art historians as distinct from other painters of the era. At 15, he successfully completed a full-scale altarpiece for the town church of Hirschberg am See (now Doksy) in Bohemia. His younger brother, Anton Hickel (1745–1798), also became a successful painter and studied under his guidance for a time.
In 1756, he moved to Vienna to further his education, studying at the Vienna Academy where he specialized in portraiture. His talent caught the attention of Empress Maria Theresa, who funded an extended educational sojourn to Italy. There, in Milan, Parma, and Florence, he painted numerous portraits of the Habsburg archdukes and archduchesses ruling the Italian courts, commissioned by his patroness. Following his travels, rivalries at the Viennese court led to a temporary loss of imperial favor. Hickel used this period to hone his skills further, and in 1769, the Florentine Academy inducted him as a member.
Court appointment and career Upon his return to Vienna, he was commissioned to paint a portrait of Emperor Joseph II. The work delighted and impressed both the Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II, and Hickel was appointed imperial-royal court painter (k.k. Kammermaler) in 1771. In 1778, however, he applied unsuccessfully for the directorship of the Vienna Academy. As Hickel continued his work as Joseph II's favorite court painter, his style defined the Emperor's visual legacy. For subsequent imperial portraits—whether bust-length or full-length—he reused a signature head tilt to the half-left, featuring sharply modeled facial features and eyes fixed on the viewer. This specific depiction became Hickel's artistic trademark, and the pose itself became a defining emblem of Emperor Joseph II's public image.
Social circle and the "Mozart Connection" While both Joseph Hickel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart moved within Viennese artistic and social circles during the 1780s, their interactions developed within the shared cultural fabric of imperial court society. Musicologist Michael Lorenz demonstrated that Mozart composed his Wind Serenade No. 11 in E-flat major, K. 375, specifically for St. Teresa's Day in 1781. It was premiered at the Hickel family residence for Hickel's sister-in-law, Theresia Wutka. Letters from Mozart to his father indicate that he intentionally used this specific celebration to gain favor with the imperial valet, Johann Kilian Strack. Because Strack was a frequent guest of the Hickel family and had direct access to the sovereign, Mozart hoped the performance would secure an introduction to Emperor Joseph II.
Later career and recognition Among Joseph Hickel's most noted paintings is his portraiture of Emperor Joseph II, who is said to have sat for him five times—a significant testament to the artist's skill, given that the Emperor was famously impatient and, in his own words, "always in a hurry" ("immer pressé"). These works include portraits displayed in the Magistratssaal (Magistrate's Hall) of the Old Vienna City Hall and at Neuwaldegg Castle.
Reflecting on Hickel's talent, whose work bridged late Baroque elegance and Neoclassical clarity, the 19th-century art historian Gottfried Johannes Dlabacz wrote: "His brushwork is vigorous and expressive, the likenesses in his portraits are striking, and the coloring is vivid and bold; the subjects are generally captured in their full individuality." His artistic legacy in the city was later commemorated by the naming of Hickelgasse.
Personal life On 14 May 1770, Hickel married Margaritha Josepha Wutka (also recorded as Margarethe; 1753–1831) in Vienna. She was the daughter of Franz Engelbert Wutka, a prominent local official who served as a secretary to Prince Emanuel von Liechtenstein, a controller for the imperial gunpowder and saltpeter administration, and the administrator of the imperial armory (Arsenalverwalter). Although historical records indicate that their marriage remained childless, the Hickel household became a vibrant cultural Viennese salon.
Her sister, Theresia Wutka, was an accomplished musical figure who anchored the family’s weekly social and musical gatherings. These private salons regularly drew elite members of imperial court society, high-ranking administrators, and celebrated artists. It was within this sophisticated domestic circle that the Hickel family established an enduring connection to the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, effectively bridging the worlds of Viennese portraiture and classical music through overlapping networks of court patronage.
Selected works Among his most notable paintings are portraits of:
The Sovereigns of the Habsburg Monarchy Maria Theresa, Holy Roman Empress Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
The Imperial Family and Royalty Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen and Archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen King Ferdinand of Naples and his wife Maria Carolina of Austria Queen Marie Antoinette of France
Spiritual and Military Leaders Pope Pius VI General Count von Lacy
Statesmen and Ministers Prince Kaunitz Franz de Paula Ulrich, 3rd Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau Franz Josef von Saurau, Count von Saurau
Gallery
Museum collections Joseph Hickel's original paintings, along with the widespread copperplate engravings, etchings, and mezzotints based on his portraits, are preserved in numerous international institutions, including:
Austria Albertina, Vienna Burgtheater Portrait Gallery, Vienna Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna Austrian National Library, Vienna Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz Vienna Museum, Vienna
Czech Republic Chateau Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou Museum of Fine Arts, Liberec State Chateau of Rájec nad Svitavou
France Château de Versailles, Versailles
Germany Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg Museum für Franken, Würzburg Kunstsammlungen und Museen Augsburg Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, Potsdam
Hungary Hungarian National Museum, Budapest
Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Italy Palace of Caserta Royal Palace of Naples Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Romania Muzeul Țării Crișurilor, Oradea National Union Museum, Alba Iulia
Russia The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Sweden Gripsholm Castle, Mariefred Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
United Kingdom British Museum, London National Portrait Gallery, London Royal Collection, Windsor Castle
Other international collections Bratislava City Gallery, Slovakia Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Royal Castle, Warsaw, Poland
See also Martin van Meytens, mentor and prominent Baroque Habsburg court painter Anton Hickel, younger brother and portraitist Heinrich Friedrich Füger, fellow court painter active in late 18th-century Vienna Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder, leading Austrian portrait master of the era List of Austrian artists and architects
References
External links
Joseph Hickel in the Benezit Dictionary of Artists / Oxford Art Online. Frick Art Research Library official website, New York Joseph Hickel paintings collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Joseph Hickel object directory at The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna.