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WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER 2003 MORNING SESSION (LOTS 1 - 180) THE PROPERTY OF THE PRINCES VON SCHÖNBURG-WALDENBURG ZU GUTEBORN From the Middle Ages up to Communist expropriation, the Lords of the House of Schönburg, originally from the Naumburg area, resided in Saxony. In 1700 the line received the status of Reichsgrafenstand and 90 years later the appointment as Reichsfürstenstand. Today, this line is continued as the princely line of Schönburg-Waldenburg and Hartenstein and as the count's line of Schönburg-Glauchau. The works of art offered in this sale originate from Castle Guteborn in Saxony, built in 1575. Originally, Castle Guteborn in the Lausitz belonged to the Bentheim-Techklenburg-Rheda line. Ownership changed in the 19th century to Prince Georg (1828-1900), a member of the Tertiogenitur line of the Schönburg-Waldenburg family. He married Princess Luise of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda (1844-1922) in 1862. The Schönburg-Waldenburg pictures were confiscated in 1945 and brought to the Dresden Gallerie, the depot for the Territory of Saxony. Futhermore, after World War II Guteborn was expropriated and in 1948 blown up although the buildings were left largely intact. The still existing photographs of the castle interior disclose the lavish furnishings and decorations, which show a passion for collecting art in great diversity. In 2002 the works of art were restituted to the heirs of the last owner, Prince Wilhelm of Schönburg-Waldenburg zu Guteborn, who was killed in action in 1944. Castle Guteborn boasts two historical events: Prince Heinrich LXXII Reuss-Ebersdorf, the Eccentric, fled to Guteborn in 1848 during the revolution. Friedrich August III, the last King of Saxony, abdicated there during the revolution of 1918 with the words Macht euren Dreck alleene.

German School, mid-19th Century

Group portrait of members of the family of Fürst Schönburg-Waldenburg in a garden

Details

German School, mid-19th Century
Group portrait of members of the family of Fürst Schönburg-Waldenburg in a garden
with the inventory number 92 on a label on the stretcher and the inventory numbers 3277 (white) and 954 (black) on the stretcher
oil on canvas, unframed
79 x 111 cm.

Provenance

Confiscated from Schloss Guteborn and brought to the depot at Gallerie Dresden, 1945.
Restituted to the heirs of the Schönburg-Waldenburg family, 2003.

Special notice

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.

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