Balthasar Denner (1685-1749)

A study of an old woman, head and shoulders, wearing a veil

細節

Balthasar Denner (1685-1749)
A study of an old woman, head and shoulders, wearing a veil
with signature and with the date Denner/1727 lower right and with the inscription Dieses ist sehr wahrscheinlich das Bild/nis von der Mutter des Balthasar Denner/...1685 in Altona geb. und 1749 in Ros/tock gest:/dessen Portrait von ihm selbst ge./malt 1748 auf der Ludwigsluster Gallerie/mit diesem Gesicht so viel Ähnlichkeit/hat dass es wohl keinen Zweifel under./worfen ist./JLS Lenthe
oil on panel
39.5 x 32.2 cm
in a French Louis XV frame, with egg and dart at the outer edge; outer cavetto; the raised corners of the ogee with stylised acanthus flanked by strap work and scrolling; cabochons to the centres; recessed sanded band; foliate sight edge

拍場告示

The property title should read: Baron von Mýnchhausen, Germany

拍品專文

The present picture belongs to a group of studies of old women, of which the most notable examples are: of 1721 in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, of 1726 in the Hermitage (N.Nikulin, J.B. Asvarishsch, The Hermitage, Leningrad, German and Austrian Painting of the 15th to 20th Century, 1986, n0107) and of 1737, formerly in the Gemäldegalerie Dresden (Katalog der ausgestellten Werke, 1992, p.171, n03874). Although the signature and date on the present picture have been added later, a dating towards 1726/7 seems acceptable, on the basis of comparison with both the Vienna and the Saint Petersburg pictures. Whereas Denner in the earlier pictures adheres to Dutch tradition, as shown in Gerard Dou's and Rembrandt's pictures of an old woman reading in the Rijksmuseum (P.J.J. van Thiel, All the Paintings, etc., 1976, p.197, n0A2627 and p.467, n03066), he later shows a tendency towards greater elegance, where he adapted to 18th century taste.
The inscription on the reverse identifies the sitter as the mother of the artist; another portrait of the sitter, dated 1748, is claimed to be in the collection of the Dukes of Mecklenburg, Castle Ludwigslust. However, there is no record of such a portrait.