Lot 65 Dα

Johann Valentin is the oldest member of the Tischbein family of painters, and the eldest brother of Johann Heinrich the Elder, the famous painter from Kassel. Johann Valentin was taught from 1729 onwards by the Darmstadt painter Johann Christian Fiedler. This apprenticeship was followed by stays in Kassel, Frankfurt and Hanau. He became court painter to the Count of Solms-Laubach in 1741, and in 1765 became court painter and cabinet secretary in the service of Duke Eugen of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Comparatively few of his works have survived, but some of those still existent are kept in Staatliche Museen in Kassel, the Angermuseum in Erfurt and in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg.
The style and manner of the sitters in these portraits allow for a doubtless attribution to Johann Valentin Tischbein. The fine, detailed depiction of the lace, velvet and jewellery is typical of this artist. The piece has been confirmed as a genuine work by Prof. Dr. Erich Herzog and Dr. Marianne Heinz (Staatliche Museen Kassel).