Augustin Christian Ritt (Russian, 1765-1799)

Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… 显示更多

INTRODUCTION Ernst Holzscheiter (1878-1962) started collecting when he was a young boy – before he had even reached school age, his mother sewed up his trouser pockets to prevent him from bringing all sorts of objects home. During his school years he was capturing butterflies, pressing flowers, gathering coins and collecting stamps. As a young man he would still be fascinated by nature and started with enthusiasm to take photographs with his newly acquired camera. He was then mainly collecting fossils and minerals – until an accident made it impossible to continue his beloved long mountain tours.Later, in 1918, on his way to one summer holiday, he bought the first portrait miniature in a little shop in Chur, Switzerland. It was a modest portrait of a girl mounted as a pendant – he gave it as a present to his wife, but she was too anxious to break it and never wore it!Only in 1928 he started to collect miniatures as a serious hobby and then went on to form a collection of over 700 pieces, most of which were sold at several auction sales long after his death. The pieces being offered now are those retained by the family, having been considered the treasures of the collection. The collection was formed under the guidance of the great portrait miniatures connoisseur, Leo R. Schidlof (1886-1966) who acquired the most important works from the legendary collections of John Pierpont Morgan, Edouard Warneck, Baron Hans Reitzes von Marienwert, Friedrich Neuburg, and Maxime Hébert.Ernst Holzscheiter was not only interested in the aesthetic aspect of the portraits but wanted to know about provenance as well as biography of the sitters reproduced. As walking and mobility had been reduced as consequence of his accident he had soon taken to reading a lot on any historical subject: an Encyclopedia was always within reach…He was an ambassador for the portrait miniature artform, organising exhibitions of his collection in Zurich at the Haus am Rechberg in 1957-58 and in 1961 and contributing to major exhibitions like the one held at the Geneva Museum in 1956. This led to a family tradition of lending pieces from the collection after his death and theirs were among the star pieces in the Albertina exhibition of 1965, the Royal Academy exhibition in 1972 and in Edinburgh, 1975. His heirs maintained strong contacts with the academic world, and curators such as Marcel Gauthey from the Geneva Museum, Edwina Brett and Daphne Foskett were welcomed as guests and friends at their home on Lake Zurich.Now the family has decided that others should have the opportunity to enjoy these treasured portraits from the collection of Ernst Holzscheiter.

细节

Augustin Christian Ritt (Russian, 1765-1799)
Countess Maria Ursula Franziska Esterházy (1765-1814), née von Hallwyl-Mydorge (1765-1814), in grey dress with pink sash
Signed ‘Ritt’ (lower left)
On ivory
Oval, 93 mm. high, gilt-metal frame, a paper label on the reverse inscribed in pen with sitter’s name

来源

Probably by descent from the sitter to Paul von Levetzow, Baron von Levetzow (1886-1960), Schloss Divak, Moravia, by 1924.
Albert Kende Auktionshaus, Vienna, 17-19 May 1933, lot 120.
With Leo R. Schidlof, from whom acquired by Ernst Holzscheiter in Paris, 18 February 1934 (inv. nos. MD/0038 and 472).

出版

Rieben 1951; Werner 1951; Rieben 1952, illustrated in colour pl. XX.
Schidlof 1964, II, pp. 679 (described as ‘important’, the sitter identified as Countess Almerie Esterhazy, née Countess Hallwyl), and 1031, illustrated IV, pl. 486, fig. 996.
Komelova 2004, p. 164, no. 123, p. 193, listed in the artist's records as '95. La Comtesse Esterhazy’ for 1794.

展览

Vienna 1924, no. 715 (lent by Paul Levetzow, Schloss Divak, erroneously as a portrait of Countess Almerie Esterhazy, née Countess Hallwyl).
Geneva 1956, no. 376 (erroneously as a portrait of Countess Almerie Esterhazy, née Countess Hallwyl).

注意事项

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

荣誉呈献

Jo Langston

jlangston@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2085

拍品专文

The sitter was the daughter of the Captain of the Swiss Guards at Versailles. She married, in 1784, Balint Laszlo Count Esterházy de Galantha (1740-1805) who, in 1791, accompanied the emigrating Comte d’Artois to Vienna. From there, the Comte d’Artois sent him to Russia. The existence of the present portrait suggests that the sitter travelled to Russia with her husband at that time. Almeria Esterházy (1789-1848), daughter of the sitter, married, in 1815, Albrecht Joseph Count Murray, Baron von Melgun (1774-1848). Their daughter Marie Murray (b. 1826) married Heinrich Rudolf Count of Salis-Zizers, and their daughter Almeria Therese Countess of Salis-Zizers (b. 1856) married, secondly, in 1878, Karl Alexander von Levetzow. Their son Paul put the present portrait up for sale in 1933.

荣誉呈献

拍品专文

更多来自 Treasured Portraits from the Collection of Ernst Holzscheiter