Music played an integral part in Spitzweg's life and a great deal of his work incorporates it in various guises. Spitzweg was, himself, an avid music connoisseur and a competent piano player. His many diaries and sketchbooks make endless references to musical scores and include detailed drawings of instruments and musicians at play. His brother Eduard was married to a gifted and well-known pianist, Anna, with whom Spitzweg was deeply enamoured. Anna's father was Joseph Moralt, then conductor to the court. Along with his six brothers, Joseph provided almost all the musical entertainment at the royal residence. The brothers Moralt were considered masters of their trade and were highly praised by critics in their time. Spitzweg admired his much revered nephews and would occasionally accompany them on their musical escapades, not dissimilar to the one depicted in our work.

Das Quartett dates from around 1860/65 and employs the long and narrow format which Spitzweg came to favour, particularly alluding to the feeling of depth and height. This, along with the dramatic effect of moonlight, was a relic of the striking landscapes of the German Romantic movement which had once again found favour in the Biedermeier era, traces of which are to be found in our work.

This lot is sold with a certificate of authenticity and accompanying text by Professor Siegfried Wichmann.