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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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