Lot Essay
Gröger met Aldenrath in Lbeck about 1788/1789. In 1798, they stayed in Dresden where the present miniature was painted. They later lived and worked together in Hamburg with their adopted daughter Lina and are buried together at St Michael's Cemetery, Hamburg. More information can be found in P. Vignau-Wilberg, 'Friedrich Carl Gröger', Weltkunst, 19, 1 October 1985, p. 2721-2723, and 'Heinrich Jacob Aldenrath', Weltkunst, 18, 15 September 1986, p. 2492-2493, and in B. H. Feddersen, 'Wanderknstler [...]', Weltkunst, 18, 15 September 1986, p. 2489. A very similar self-portrait by Gröger is illustrated in E. Lemberger, Die Bildnis-Miniatur in Skandinavien, Berlin, 1912, II, pl. 90.