Anton Romako: Admiral Tegettoff in the Naval Battle of Lissa

Anton Romako’s painting of “Admiral Tegetthoff in the Naval Battle of Lissa” is now celebrated as a visionary work, and is part of the canon of European art of the 19th century. This richly illustrated book traces the history of the picture and places it in the historical, military, and artistic context of its age.

“Admiral Tegetthoff in the Naval Battle of Lissa” now seems amazingly modern, but although today we can appreciate it as a masterpiece, it was almost universally rejected and mock...