Count Franz Anton Magnis and his teacher Josef Fischer : aristocratic dilettantism in the Habsburg monarchy around 1800

Unlike several foreign contributions, Czech historiography still lacks a comprehensive treatment of the issue of aristocratic dilettantism around 1800. One of the hitherto little-known dilettantes was Franz Anton Count Magnis (1773–1848), owner of the South Moravian estate of Strážnice. The study analyses the evident links that connected him to the Viennese art scene, specifically to the Vienna Academy professor Josef Fischer (1769–1822). These connections are demonstrated by a representative collection of works on paper relating both to the artist's stay at the Strážnice château and to Magnis's own artistic expression. Fischer fulfilled several commissions in the service of the count and, in addition to basic artistic training, also provided him with models for his etchings. Through an interpretative framework evaluating the artworks of aristocrats as a means of communication, the study further analyses the sharing of occasional drawings and prints, whose evaluation is based primarily on their social function rather than on the categories of quality of execution and inventiveness. Using an analysis of these selected examples, the study offers a concrete characterization of aristocratic dilettantism in the Habsburg monarchy at the end of the 18th century.