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A virtually nowhere to be found, this outstanding work of (well-known
in the 19th century) Viennese miniaturist Franz Schneck is an extreme
rarity at the current antique market (our image show only two
other works (each - relatively large watercolor on card) of this artist
that we discovered in the auction records of the past thirty years; no
miniatures on organic wafer were found).
Moreover, the sitter of
presented here miniature, looking relatively young, fashionable dressed
lady recently turned out to be a person from amicable sircle of great
Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, namely from the period shortly before
1824 (date on this miniature)!
In July 2020 Mrs. Anna Kudina
(Moscow) informed us that this portrait was long before known in Russia
through another artist's own replica - one which was before the October
Revolution of 1917 in possession of the sitter's great-grandson,
well-known Russian art historian Count Juri Alexandrovich Olsufiev
(1878-1938)
as a part of the inventory of his estate Buitsy, Yepifanivski Uezd
,Tulskaya Gubernia (see our images with old photograph).
Being unsigned (sic!) it was thought by Count Olsufief to be a work of
certain "Adattinger". Nonetheless no miniaturist with this name is to
find in art reference literature. We are sure the owner was informed by
somebody it could be (due to highest quality) a work of famous Vienna
miniaturist Moritz Michael Daffinger (1790-1849). With the time
"Daffinger" became "Adattinger"...
Today this replica is a part of certain Moscow private collection
(descendant of Count Olsufiev?).
In Olsufief family (and still today) this miniature was known as
a reliable portrait of count's maternal great-grandmother Countess
Ecaterina Rossetti-Roznovan, nee Princess Ghika. The latter was born in
1785, probably in Yassy, Bessarabia, as a daughter of Prince Constantin
Ghika-Comanest (1745-1818), member of the famous Wallachian aristocratic
family
and his wife Maria Cantacuzino-Deleanu. In December of 1811 26-year-old
Ecaterina married the 17(sic!)-year-old (great love or marriage for
money?) Count Nicolae Rossetti-Roznovan (also Roznovanu; 1794-1858), son
of Moldavian aristocrat Iordake Rossetti-Roznovanu. Between July 1821-
Juni 1823 poet Alexander Pushkin during his exile in Kishenev was well
acquainted with the latter and his family; he also regularly visited
house of Nicolae and Ecaterina - see our image.
The couple had
three daughters. Unfortunately their marriage was divorced a bit later
(in 1824?); Nikolae later re-married, and Countess Ecaterina lived from
mid-1820s at just builded for her villa with vast park in Lipcani (then
Russian province Bessarabia, now Republik Moldova).
She died there in 1870.
Obviously Countess Ecaterina was portrayed by artist Schneck during one
of her visits to Vienna (as we see the latter was commissioned to make
two (or more?) replicas of this portrait). Pre-oiwner of Moscow replica,
Count Olsufiev surely heard from his mother (or even grandmother) the
story concerning this portrait, with mention of Vienna as a place of its
execution. That explains why he believed to possess an unsigned work of
Vienna (!) best artist "Adattinger" (Daffinger)...
Franz Schneck (1773 Vienna - 1857 Vienna) was first mentioned in 1806
as a student of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He had obviously
(alike many of his fellow-students) studied there, for he was still
represented at the academic exhibitions of 1828 and 1835. In 1839 he
lived on Wohllebengasse 90 of the Wien-Wieden district of Vienna with
his brother Karl (also a miniaturist, though not as skillful as Franz
Schneck).
Provenance: private collection, Berlin
We are very grateful to Mrs. Kudina for her generous help
Condition: good; set into original leather traveling case
Creation Year: 1824
Measurements: UNFRAMED: 7.5 cm x 6.0 cm / 3.0" x 2.4" inches FRAMED: 10.8 cm x 8.6 cm / 4.3" x 3.4" inches
Object Type: Framed watercolor
Style: Portrait miniatures
Technique: watercolor on organic wafer
Inscription: signed and dated: Schneck 1824
Creator: Franz Schneck
Creator Dates: 1773 Vienna-1857 Vienna
Nationality: Austrian
Themes:
AUSTRIAN
WALLACHIAN
PUSHKIN
ROMANIAN
BESSARABIAM
MOLDAVIAN
OLD RUSSIAN
RUSSIAN PORTRAIT MINIATURES
VIW
STORY
GREATY
FEMALE PORTRAIT
ARISTOCRAT
BIEDERMEIER
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lufeb23