Heinrich Friedrich Füger
The Apotheosis of Emperor Joseph II
Oil on canvas. 98 x 73 cm.
As a young artist in Vienna, Heinrich Füger gained the patronage of the English envoy Robert Keith. It was through him that he first came in contact with the Imperial family, who then also supported him in his career and further training, even granting him a stipend to spend several years in Rome. His responsibilities during this time included the creation of works for the Viennese court. The first painting which Füger carried out in Rome for the Imperial house was the large-format “Apotheosis of Emperor Franz Josef II” that is today housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Füger created this oil study in connection with the painting from 1779. It can be considered a preliminary study for the large version (R. Keil, ibid. p. 49). Comparison with the final work shows that Füger approached the allegorical subject tentatively. The figures there are more densely arranged and the Roman style, inspired by artists such as Pompeo Batoni, is more pronounced.
Provenance
Friedrich John (1769-1843) and his descendants. - Private ownership, Vienna.
Literature
C. Wilczek: Heinrich Füger. Seine Gemälde und Zeichnungen, Vienna 1925, p. 61, no. 12. - R. Keil: Heinrich Friedrich Füger 1751 - 1818, Vienna 2009, p. 49-50 and p. 224, no. WV 94.