(Gorizia 1790–1866 Gradiscutta)
Portrait of shipping Agent Paolo Preinitsch (Rosegg 1762–1840 Trieste) in the Harbour of Trieste, oil on canvas on panel, 135.5 x 94 cm, framed

Provenance:
Commissioned directly to the artist by Paolo Preinitsch (1762–1840);
By inheritance to his descendant Federico Walluschnig, Graz/Villach/Triest;
By inheritance to his wife Amalia Walluschnig, née Gareis (1872–1949), Trieste;
By inheritance to her brother Fritz Gareis (1892–1970), Vienna;
Thence by descent - Private Collection, Vienna.

Illustrated in:
Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini, Luce di Trieste, Turin 1964, p. 101 (Giuseppe Tominz, “Il Direttore delle Poste”).

Illustrated and Catalogued in:
Alessandro Quinzi, Giuseppe Tominz, Trieste 2011, no. 57 (Il direttore delle poste Preinitsch)

Compare:
Giuseppe Tominz, a half-length portrait of Paolo Preinitsch, c. 1835, oil on canvas, 50 x 42 cm, Civici Musei, Udine.

With an academic record and prizes from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice or the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, and important patrons such as Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria or Count Giuseppe della Torre di Valsassina, it is no surprise that Giuseppe Tominz (1790-1866) became one of the most popular portrait painters of Trieste. Benefiting from the economic growth of the port city, Tominz painted numerous portraits of society, making it his most fruitful creative period.

Tominz focused on naturalism, expressiveness and characterization, and this painting makes no exception. The sitter – Carinthian born Paolo Preinitsch is depicted in the foreground, elevated over the Trieste landscape. His lavish clothes represent him as a rich businessman and member of the Trieste bourgeoisie. Nicknamed ‘Napoleone delle Strade’, Preinitsch owned a freight forwarding company, which Tominz was careful to bring to life by painting its building complex and horses in the background. The so-called Corte Preinitsch, which comprised a series of buildings in the area between today’s Via Belvedere and the Via Pauliana (named after Paolo Preinitsch himself), is still partly preserved.

Preinitsch, born probably 1761/62 in the Carinthian Rosental is painted with highly naturalistic facial features showing his advancing age, but his energy and youthful pose show the confidence of a successful entrepreneur and selfmade man. With his focused expression, head turn and crossed arms, he proudly oversees his enterprise - even on canvas he is on duty.

The city is recognizable through the buildings along the shore, and the via Commerciale winding up towards the hills of Ljubljana in the fading background. These meandering streets were also notably the only way to Austria, a reference to Preinitsch’s native country. Tominz further individualizes the portrait by including carriages and horses native to the regions of Styria and Carinthia. Through the dynamic elements of the background, Tominz managed to create a lively and realistic composition – no doubt a reflection of the sitter’s character.