Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia (given names: Géza Ladislaus Euseb Gerhard Rafael Albert Maria; born 14 November 1940, in Budapest), in Austria and Hungary known as Géza von Habsburg-Lothringen,[ is the son of Archduke Joseph Francis of Austria (1895–1957) and his wife Princess Anna of Saxony (1903–1976) thus he is a grandson of King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony and great-great grandson (on his father’s mother’s side) of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi).
Géza von Habsburg-Lothringen studied at the Universities of Fribourg and Bern (Switzerland), Munich and Florence and has a Ph.D. in History of Art and Archeology. He was Chairman of Christie’s in Switzerland and in Europe for 18 years; taught at the New York School of Design; at the Bard Graduate Center for the Decorative Art; at New York University; and lectured for a decade at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He published 15 books on the History of Collecting, Russian Art and Fabergé, and organized five international exhibitions attracting over 2 million visitors.
At present he serves as Visiting Professor at Shijitsu University, Okayama (Japan); Fabergé Guest Curator at the Virginia Museum of Art, where he wrote the catalogue of its collection of Russian Art and organized the exhibition “Fabergé Revealed”; and Curatorial Director of the Fabergé Company. As President of the International Friends of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, he speaks regularly on Habsburg family history, artistic patronage and collecting.
He is President of the International Friends of the Budapest Museum of Applied Art; Advisory Board Member of the Hermitage Foundation; of the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg; and Board Member of the Friends of Dresden.
He forms part of the International Council of Museums (ICOM); American Association of Museums (AAM); Appraisers Association of America, New York (AAA); American Association of Jewelry Historians; of the The British Society of Jewellery Historians; and is member of the Vetting Committees of The European Fine Arts Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht; The American International Fine Arts Fair (AIFAF) in Palm Beach; and The International Fine Art & Antique Dealer’s Show in New York.
CURRICULUM VITAE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
VIRGINIA FINE ARTS MUSEUM, RICHMOND, FABERGÉ GUEST CURATOR 2010-present
FABERGÉ USA, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 1994-2007; CURATORIAL DIRECTOR 2007-present
FABERGÉ ARTS FOUNDATION, CURATOR, DIRECTOR 1991-1994
HABSBURG FINE ART INTERNATIONAL AUCTIONEERS, CHAIRMAN GENEVA AND NEW YORK 1987-1991
CHRISTIE, MANSON & WOODS AUCTIONEERS, CHAIRMAN (SWITZERLAND) 1968-1984; CHAIRMAN (EUROPE) 1980-1984.
EXHIBITIONS CURATED (SELECTION)
KUNSTHALLE, MUNICH, 2003: Fabergé und Cartier, Rivalen am Zarenhof
VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ART, RICHMOND, 2001: Fabergé Revealed
METROPOLIAN MUSEUM, NEW YORK; FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO; RICHMOND, VA; NEW ORLEANS, LA; CLEVELAND, OH, 1996/7: Fabergé in America
STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM, ST. PETERSBURG; MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS, PARIS;
V&A MUSEUM, LONDON, 1993/94: Fabergé, Imperial Court Jeweler
KUNSTHALLE, MUNICH 1986: Fabergé Hofjuwelier der Zaren
BOOKS PUBLISHED (SELECTION)
“Fabergé Revealed”, Richmond Museum Press 2011
“Fabergé. Treasures of Imperial Russia”, The Link of Times Foundation, Moscow 2004 (Russian/English)
“Fabergé/Cartier. Rivalen am Zarenhof”, Hirmer Verlag, Munich 2003 (German)
“Princely Treasures”, Vendome Press, New York 1997 (English, French, German and Italian editions)
“Fabergé in America”, San Francisco Museum of Fine Art, 1996
“Fabergé. Imperial Jeweller” (co-authored with Dr. Marina Lopato), Zwemmer, London 1993 (Russian, French, English)
Media Summit New York