A previously unknown and recently rediscovered view of Vienna’s Karlskirche will be offered at the Dorotheum’s “Antique Paintings” auction on October 21, 2026. The work has been authenticated as entirely by the hand of Bernardo Bellotto, the renowned Venetian landscape painter, nephew and pupil of Canaletto, and is estimated at between 400,000 and 600,000 euros. The painting also serves as the prototype for other versions of the same subject, some of which are attributed to the artist’s son and assistant, Lorenzo Bellotto.
The Karlskirche, one of the most iconic buildings of 18th-century Vienna, was erected to commemorate the end of the last major plague epidemic. Designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, it was completed in 1739. It is believed that Bellotto painted this view during or shortly after his stay in Vienna between 1759 and 1761. The artist had been commissioned to paint a series of panoramic views of the Habsburg capital, including the famous View of Vienna from the Belvedere, now in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Bellotto’s Viennese cityscapes capture the image of the imperial city at the height of Habsburg power, presenting it as a center of political, cultural, and scientific influence. The precision of the compositions also stems from the careful selection of viewpoints and the detailed observation of the buildings, set within lively urban landscapes. Added to these elements is a nuanced treatment of light and shadow, which helps define the architectural spaces and the city’s daily life.
This new view of the Karlskirche thus joins Bellotto’s body of work dedicated to Vienna and serves as a visual record of the Habsburg capital in the mid-18th century. The recent attribution of the work in its entirety to the artist also clarifies its place in relation to later versions of the subject, some of which have been attributed to his son Lorenzo.
The October 21 auction also includes other recently rediscovered works. Among these is a head study on paper by Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci, known as Perugino, directly linked to the altarpiece depicting the Pietà, now housed in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence. The work is offered with an estimate of 200,000–300,000 euros.
Another rediscovery is Paolo Veronese’s *Madonna and Child in an Architectural Niche*, from a private collection and estimated at 100,000–150,000 euros. The catalog also features Luca Giordano’s Massacre of the Innocents, a work that was part of the 2001 monographic exhibition dedicated to the artist and held in Naples, Vienna, and Los Angeles. It is estimated at 400,000–600,000 euros.
Among the most notable paintings is a *Nativity* by Guido Reni, formerly part of the collection of the famous British portrait painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, with an estimate of 200,000–300,000 euros. Flemish art is represented, among other works, by a *Portrait of a Child* by Frans Pourbus and the landscape *Flight into Egypt* by Herri met de Bles, estimated at 200,000–250,000 euros and 40,000–60,000 euros, respectively. Rounding out the selection is a Still Life by the Spanish painter Juan van der Hamen y León, estimated at 100,000–150,000 euros, and *The Agony in the Garden* by the Nuremberg artist Hans von Kulmbach, estimated at 30,000–40,000 euros.
The“ n Antique Paintings” auction, featuring both in-person bidding and live bidding, will take place on October 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The exhibition of the works will be open starting October 10 at the Palais Dorotheum, Dorotheergasse 17, 1010 Vienna.
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| Bellotto: A Rediscovered View of Vienna’s Karlskirche Is Up for Auction at Dorotheum |
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