(Vienna 1803–1887) Portrait of the Banker Ignaz Biedermann, 1848, oil on canvas, 55.5 x 45 cm, framed, (Rei)

Literature: Günther Probszt, Friedrich von Amerling. Der Altmeister der Wiener Portraitmalerei, Zürich-Leipzig-Wien 1927, CR no. 730, p.138. Sabine Grabner, Friedrich von Amerling 1803–1887, exhibition catalogue Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Wien, Leipzig 2003. Tina Walzer, Wiener Album, Jüdische Familien, ihre Stadt und der Friedhof Währing nach 1784, Published by Schlebrügge (currently being compiled). Provenance: 263rd Art Auction, Dorotheum Vienna, (Estate of Friedrich von Amerling) 3rd May 1916, no. 30, plate.2; Ing. Paul Götzl (Vienna-Athen); his descendants Letter of authentication issued by Dr Sabine Grabner, dated January 2009: “This painting (...) with the half-length portrait of a bearded man wearing a red beret is, without doubt, an original work by the Viennese painter Friedrich von Amerling (1803-1887) in the artist’s own hand. The painting bears no signature, is undated and free of any other form of identification. There is an estate auction stamp on the stretcher dating from the second estate auction held at the Dorotheum in 1916, an export stamp and several handwritten numbers. (...) In contrast to the clothing with its minimal characteristics, the face has been executed with great precision, the skin having been lent the impression of extreme vitality. It was important to Amerling to depict his models in as lifelike a manner as possible. Accordingly, he has modelled the face using the medium of colour and added numerous layers of glaze, thereby achieving an extremely natural transparency. Here the whitened skin tones are subjected to soft reddening, bluish shadows and an almost blazing red (...) to create an incredible freshness, allowing one almost to feel the pulsating lifeforce.(...) The cloudy sky in the background pays homage to Amerling’s journey to England in 1827/28 and reflects the artist’s respect for English portrait artists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, such as Joshua Reynolds or Thomas Lawrence (...) (...) extraordinary is the sensitivity with which the character of the subject has been captured, as well as the quality of the painting and its technical execution.