A Dear Visitor by Max Kurzweil: A Horse Visits a Soldier

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A horse visits a wounded soldier

A wounded young soldier lies in bed, propped up by a comrade. Through the door, his horse has been led in to see him, and he reaches out his hand towards it. The Austrian painter Max Kurzweil called the scene Ein lieber Besuch, “A Dear Visitor.”

The painting belongs to the Belvedere in Vienna.

A pale soldier and his comrade

The pale wounded soldier held up by a comrade in a red cap — The soldier and his comrade.

The wounded man is pale, his head back, his shirt open. A comrade in a red cap holds him up. Their closeness shows the bond between soldiers.

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A Dear Visitor (Ein lieber Besuch) hand-painted oil reproduction

A Dear Visitor (Ein lieber Besuch), painted by hand

Max Kurzweil · oil on canvas, made to order

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The horse leans in

The dark horse lowering its head towards the bed — The horse leans in.

The dark horse lowers its head towards the bed. A soldier in red trousers holds its bridle. The visit is the emotional heart of the picture.

A tall window showing a snowy courtyard — The window and the snow.

Behind, a tall window shows a snowy courtyard and lets cold light into the room.

Who was Max Kurzweil?

Max Kurzweil (1867 to 1916) was born in Bisenz in Moravia and trained at the Vienna Academy. He spent several years in France, where he married a Frenchwoman, Martha Guyot, and painted the coast of Brittany. In 1897 he was one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession, alongside Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann.

His work moved from realism to the decorative style of the Secession. His best-known painting, The Cushion, shows his wife reclining on a large yellow cushion. He died in 1916.

Horses and soldiers

In the Austro-Hungarian army, cavalry was still important in the 1890s. Horses and riders often formed close bonds, and a soldier’s horse was his daily companion. Kurzweil’s painting turns this relationship into a touching scene of friendship across species. The wounded man reaches for his horse as he might reach for an old friend.

A realistic scene

The painting is detailed and realistic. The hospital room is bare, with a simple bed and a window onto a snowy courtyard. The soldiers’ uniforms are precisely painted, and the horse’s dark coat gleams. Kurzweil uses a cool palette of whites, greys and browns, warmed by the red details of the uniforms. The emotion comes from the gestures rather than from dramatic effects.

Sentiment and restraint

Paintings of animals and soldiers could easily become sentimental. Kurzweil keeps the scene simple. The faces are calm, the gestures are small, and the room is quiet. This restraint makes the moment more believable and more moving.

Where to see it

A Dear Visitor belongs to the Belvedere in Vienna. Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. You can also read about Kurzweil’s The Cushion, or explore our famous animal and dog paintings.

Questions about A Dear Visitor

Who painted it?

The Austrian painter Max Kurzweil (1867 to 1916), a founder of the Vienna Secession.

Where is it?

Belvedere, Vienna.

What is the scene?

A wounded soldier visited by his horse.

What does the title mean?

Ein lieber Besuch means “A Dear Visitor.”

Was Kurzweil a member of the Secession?

Yes, he was one of its founders in 1897.

What is Kurzweil’s best-known painting?

The Cushion, a portrait of his wife reclining on a yellow cushion.

Sources and image credit

Wikimedia Commons: Ein lieber Besuch, Belvedere

Public-domain reproduction of A Dear Visitor, via Wikimedia Commons (Belvedere). Detail images are crops of the same image; no reconstruction or upscaling.