Karoly Jakobey

This Hungarian painter had a knack for making stiff 19th-century portraits feel alive—he once sat a sitter in front of a window just to catch the right light on their face. He painted the powerful like László Bátthyány, but his real trick was making them look less like politicians and more like people who might crack a joke. You’ll spot his trick in *Portrait of László Bátthyány* (1868), where the subject’s relaxed collar and sideways glance feel almost modern. Look for it, then try to spot the same trick in any group portrait from the 1860s.