Portrait of Frederick II of Prussia by Johann Georg Ziesenis
The Portrait of Frederick II of Prussia by Johann Georg Ziesenis is a portrait of Frederick the Great painted by the German-Danish painter Johann Georg Ziesenis in 1763. In 1913, the archivist and historian Jean Lulvès (1866–1928), son of the painter Jean Lulvès, claimed it was the only painting for which Frederick sat during his lifetime.[1] However, this is now doubted.[2]
It was commissioned by Frederick's sister Duchess Philippine Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.[3] If the Prussian king really sat for it from 17 to 20 June 1763 at Castle Salzdahlum is not clear. Like other portraitists, Ziesenis continued working on portraits after the sitting using sketches.[4] However, the facial features in this portrait appear highly idealized, which is inconsistent with the fact that Frederick considered himself very ugly[5] and at the end of the Seven Years' War "complained in his letters of how much weight he had lost and how thin, fragile, and gray he had become."[6] Consequently, Ziesenis's portrait does not seem to represent the true image of the monarch.
On 10 October 2009, the painting, last put on public display in 1937 at the Lower Saxony State Museum, was offered by the Bremen auction house Bolland & Marotz and sold at a price of 670,000 euros.[7] Due to the historical significance of the painting, it was registered in the directory of German cultural heritage.[8]
Copies[edit]
It is believed that there are two copies which were given to the Duchess (now in the Heidelberg Palatinate Museum) and to George III of the United Kingdom (now in the Royal Collection).[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Jean Lulvès: Das einzige glaubwürdige Bildnis Friedrichs des Großen als König. Hahnsche Buchhandlung, Hannover 1913.
- ^ Karin Schrader: Der Bildnismaler Johann Georg Ziesenis (1717–1776): Leben und Werk mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog (Münster: Lit-Verlag, 1995), p. 110.
- ^ August Fink, “Herzogin Philippine Charlotte und das Bildnis Friedrichs des Großen,” Braunschweigisches Jahrbuch, 40 (1959), pp. 117–135.
- ^ Frauke Mankartz: Die Marke Friedrich: Der preußische König im zeitgenössischen Bild, ín Generaldirektion der Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (ed.), Friederisiko: Friedrich der Große. Die Ausstellung (Munich: Hirmer, 2012), p. 206.
- ^ Frederick said to the Marquis d’Argens: "There is so much talk about the fact that we terrestrial kings are made in the image of God. Then I look in the mirror and am obliged to say to myself: How unlucky for God!" See Gisela Groth, "Wie Friedrich II. wirklich aussah," Preußische Allgemeine Zeitung, 14 November 2012, p. 11.
- ^ See Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg: Images of Frederick
- ^ See "Porträt von Friedrich II. bringt über halbe Million," Die Welt, 10 October 2009.
- ^ "Frederick the Great portrait auctioned for €670,000". 11 October 2009.
- ^ "Explore the Royal Collection Online".
See also[edit]
Portraits of Frederick the Great
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