Johann Martin Hohenberg adopted the name Martino Altomonte in 1684 upon his appointment as the court painter to King John III Sobieski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Born in Naples in 1657 to a family originating from the Tyrol, he spent his formative years training under Roman masters before establishing a career that bridged Neapolitan, Venetian, and Viennese artistic traditions.
Early Training in Italy
At age 15, Altomonte began an apprenticeship with Giovanni Battista Gaulli in Rome. Following this period of study, he continued his artistic development under the guidance of Carlo Maratti. These early years in Rome exposed him to the techniques that would later inform his distinctive approach to chiaroscuro and oil composition.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Service to the Polish Court
During his residence in Warsaw under the patronage of John III Sobieski, Altomonte focused on royal portraiture and depictions of military engagements, including the Siege of Vienna. While many of the altarpieces he produced during this tenure were subsequently destroyed, the surviving work 'Sacrifice of Abraham,' currently held in the Diocese Museum in Tarnów, exemplifies his grounding in the Neapolitan chiaroscuro tradition.
Viennese Baroque Development
Altomonte relocated to Vienna between 1699 and 1702, a city that remained his home until his death in 1745. In 1707, he joined the teaching faculty of the Akademie der Bildenden Künste, facilitating a commission to decorate the Neue Favorita at Schloss Augarten. His mature style synthesized Venetian pastel palettes with Neapolitan dramatic lighting, a fusion that influenced the trajectory of Viennese Baroque painting.
Significant Commissions and Legacy
His prolific output during the early 18th century included ceiling frescoes at the archbishop's Residenz in Salzburg between 1709 and 1710. He completed major altar paintings in Vienna for the Dorotheerkirche in 1713, and for the Peterskirche and Stephansdom in 1714. Further commissions took him to Krems and Laibach in 1715. In 1716, he painted the ceiling frescoes for the Lower Belvedere in Vienna. He died in 1745, leaving a body of work continued by his son, Bartolomeo Altomonte, who was born in 1694.
Fast facts
- Born: 1657, Naples
- Died: 1745, Vienna and Heiligenkreuz
- Birth name: Johann Martin Hohenberg
- Apprenticeships: Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Carlo Maratti
- Primary Patron: John III Sobieski
- Notable Son: Bartolomeo Altomonte
- Citizenship: Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
- Professional Role: Painter
Questions readers ask
Why did Johann Martin Hohenberg change his name?
He adopted the name Martino Altomonte in 1684 when he became the court painter for King John III Sobieski.
What stylistic elements define his work?
His paintings are characterized by a combination of Neapolitan chiaroscuro and Venetian pastel tones.
