Attributed to Alexander Roslin (Malmö 1718-1793 Paris)

Portrait of Johann Graf Fries

Details

Attributed to Alexander Roslin (Malmö 1718-1793 Paris)
Portrait of Johann Graf Fries
pastel on paper mounted on canvas
36¼ x 26½ in. (92 x 67.3 cm.)
Dated '1762' on letter (upper right)

Provenance

Achenbach, Berlin; sale, Rudolph Lepke's Kunstauktionshuas, Berlin, 11-12 October 1910, lot 89, as 'Liotard'.
Arthur Sambon, Paris; sale, Galerie Gorges Petit, Paris, 25-28 May 1914, lot 218, as 'Liotard'.
Nelson Eddy, Los Angeles, and by descent.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, New York, 31 January 2009, lot 47, where acquired by the present owner.

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Lot Essay

Born in Switzerland, Johann Fries (1719-1785) was involved in a very successful and lucrative operation of provisioning the Austrian army and the routing of funds from the British government to Vienna during the Austrian Succession war (1740-1748). In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded a concession allowing him to manufacture cloth in Austria and a monopoly on the transfer of gold currency to the Orient. Through these endeavors, Fries became one of the wealthiest members of the Austrian court.

We are grateful to Neil Jeffares for his help in cataloguing the present lot.

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