Lot 205 Dα

Two variations of this portrait exist, both of which Anton Graff reiterated several times. One of the versions shows the king facing left whereas in the other he looks out toward the beholder, like in the present work. Berckenhagen (op. cit. 128/29) mentions several examples of this version which have not survived but are recorded with their dimensions. The prototype of this version is a signed work by Anton Graff dated 1788 which originally hung in Monbijou Palace but was later moved to the palace on Peacock Island (Berckenhagen op. cit. no. 382). A drawing corresponding to this composition is housed in the Museum der Bildenden Künste in Leipzig.

Friedrich Wilhelm II (1744 - 1797) was the nephew of Friedrich II and inherited the Prussian throne from his uncle. He ruled Prussia from 1786 to his death in 1797 and was succeeded by his son Friedrich Wilhelm III.