Noted in Hungarian history beginning in the late 13th century, the House of Zichy was given countly rank in 1679. By the end of the 19th century, the Zichy family was active in politics and the arts in the Austro-Hungarian empire, centered around Vienna. Notable members from this period include Count Ödön Zichy (1811–1894), who founded the Oriental Museum, Vienna and sponsored the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition, Count Mihály Zichy (1827-1906), who was appointed court painter in St. Petersburg in 1847 and is one of Hungary's most well known artists, and Count Géza Zichy (1849-1924), a well known pianist and composer who studied under Franz Liszt.