János Donát

János Donát was a portrait painter in the Neoclassical style, working in Vienna and later in Pest. His portraits are sober and direct, with clear modelling, plain backgrounds and careful attention to the face.

He was born in Neuzelle, in Prussia, in 1744 and studied at the Vienna Academy from 1766. In Vienna he found early success with commissions from the court, and his portrait of Emperor Joseph II is now in the Louvre. In 1810 he moved to Pest, where he painted many leading figures of Hungarian culture, including the writer Ferenc Kazinczy and the poet Benedek Virág.

Our pictures include his portraits of the poet Dániel Berzsenyi and of János Bihari, the famous Roma violinist and composer. Look at the calm, attentive faces. He died in Pest in 1830.