98th Auction
2018/11/10
Lot 66
Attributed to the workshops of Jean-Abraham Lissignol and Jacques-Marc Henry, 64 x 42 mm, circa 1810
A very fine gold and enamel miniature "Belisarius begging for alms", after a painting by German painter and etcher Friedrich Rehberg (1758-1835) and an etching by Ticinese etcher and painter Pietro Bettelini (1763-1828)
Case: gold and enamel, gilt bronze frame.
The rectangular enamel miniature shows an exquisite painting of General Belisarius begging for alms. The scene was created by German painter Friedrich Rehberg (1758-1835) and is dedicated to Frederick William II (1744-1797), King of Prussia (1786-1797), Sovereign Prince of Neuchâtel, Prince-elector of Brandenburg, etc.; the current location of the painting is unknown. The motif was used by Ticinese etcher Pietro Bettelini (1763-1828), who created an etching of it around 1790-1791 in Rome, entitled "Date Obolum Belisario".
The scene takes its inspiration from the legend of General Belisarius (circa 500-565), a general of the Byzantine Empire and a faithful servant of Emperor Justinian (ca. 482-565). Belisarius was tried for high treason and sentenced by Justinian; he eventually died a blind beggar under the Porta Pinciana in Rome. His fate serves as an allegory for the ungratefulness of those who are in power.
The artist painted his enamel miniature in a rectangular shape and thus had to leave out the Roman soldier who is present in Rehberg’s original painting.
Friedrich Rehberg (1758-1835) was a German portrait and historical painter.
Rehberg was born into a middle-class protestant family in Hanover in 1758, the son of a secretary for the estates of Calenberg (one of the duchies of Hannover). His elder brother, August Wilhelm Rehberg (1757–1836), became a notable politician, philosopher and writer. Friedrich, himself, studied first with Oeser in Leipzig, then with Giovanni Battista Casanova and Johann Eleazar Zeissig, in Dresden. In 1777, he went to Rome, where he studied the Old Masters, such as Caracci, Domenichino and Michelangelo, under Anton Raphael Mengs. Here he became a close friend of fellow-painter David.
In 1783 he returned to Hanover, where his reputation was now well-established, and received many commissions to paint portraits, including those of the Duke Wilhelm and the Bishop of Osnabrück. In 1784 he became drawing master at the Philanthropinum, a progressive school in Dessau where he taught art to the crown prince, Frederick. In 1786, he was made a fellow at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, becoming professor in 1787. He then returned to Rome to manage the satellite Prussian art academy which was to be built there. For political reasons, this project never materialised but Rehberg remained in the city. There he painted "Belisarius", "Oedipus and Antigone", "The Death of Abel", "Bacchus", "Orpheus and Eurydice" and "Jupiter and Venus".
In 1791 he went to Naples and made a series of drawings of Lady Hamilton posing as classical statuary, which were published in book form in 1794.In 1813 he went to London, and, in 1814, painted an allegory of Napoleon's fall. In the same year he returned for a time to Rome, but eventually settled at Munich, where he published, in 1824, "Raffael Sanzio von Urbino": the Elements of Lithographic Drawing", with thirteen of his own lithographs.
Rehberg died in Munich on the 20 August 1835.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Rehberg, as of 09/24/2018.
Ticinese etcher and painter Pietro Bettelini (1763-1828) began his training in Milan and later continued in Bologna under Gaetano Gandolfi (1734-1802). Circa 1781 Bettelini went to London and to study with Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815). Afterwards he studied with Charles-Nicolas Cochin (1715-1790) in Paris.
Jean-Abraham Lissignol was born in Geneva in 1749. He was the pupil and partner of Jean-Marc Roux and later was apprenticed in Paris. He was one of the most important enamel miniature painters and was specialised on snuffboxes and watch cases. He worked for Jaquet-Droz, Leschot, Rochat, John Rich and Jean-Georges Rémond & Company He died in Plainpalais in 1819.
A very fine gold and enamel miniature "Belisarius begging for alms", after a painting by German painter and etcher Friedrich Rehberg (1758-1835) and an etching by Ticinese etcher and painter Pietro Bettelini (1763-1828)
Case: gold and enamel, gilt bronze frame.
The rectangular enamel miniature shows an exquisite painting of General Belisarius begging for alms. The scene was created by German painter Friedrich Rehberg (1758-1835) and is dedicated to Frederick William II (1744-1797), King of Prussia (1786-1797), Sovereign Prince of Neuchâtel, Prince-elector of Brandenburg, etc.; the current location of the painting is unknown. The motif was used by Ticinese etcher Pietro Bettelini (1763-1828), who created an etching of it around 1790-1791 in Rome, entitled "Date Obolum Belisario".
The scene takes its inspiration from the legend of General Belisarius (circa 500-565), a general of the Byzantine Empire and a faithful servant of Emperor Justinian (ca. 482-565). Belisarius was tried for high treason and sentenced by Justinian; he eventually died a blind beggar under the Porta Pinciana in Rome. His fate serves as an allegory for the ungratefulness of those who are in power.
The artist painted his enamel miniature in a rectangular shape and thus had to leave out the Roman soldier who is present in Rehberg’s original painting.
Friedrich Rehberg (1758-1835) was a German portrait and historical painter.
Rehberg was born into a middle-class protestant family in Hanover in 1758, the son of a secretary for the estates of Calenberg (one of the duchies of Hannover). His elder brother, August Wilhelm Rehberg (1757–1836), became a notable politician, philosopher and writer. Friedrich, himself, studied first with Oeser in Leipzig, then with Giovanni Battista Casanova and Johann Eleazar Zeissig, in Dresden. In 1777, he went to Rome, where he studied the Old Masters, such as Caracci, Domenichino and Michelangelo, under Anton Raphael Mengs. Here he became a close friend of fellow-painter David.
In 1783 he returned to Hanover, where his reputation was now well-established, and received many commissions to paint portraits, including those of the Duke Wilhelm and the Bishop of Osnabrück. In 1784 he became drawing master at the Philanthropinum, a progressive school in Dessau where he taught art to the crown prince, Frederick. In 1786, he was made a fellow at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, becoming professor in 1787. He then returned to Rome to manage the satellite Prussian art academy which was to be built there. For political reasons, this project never materialised but Rehberg remained in the city. There he painted "Belisarius", "Oedipus and Antigone", "The Death of Abel", "Bacchus", "Orpheus and Eurydice" and "Jupiter and Venus".
In 1791 he went to Naples and made a series of drawings of Lady Hamilton posing as classical statuary, which were published in book form in 1794.In 1813 he went to London, and, in 1814, painted an allegory of Napoleon's fall. In the same year he returned for a time to Rome, but eventually settled at Munich, where he published, in 1824, "Raffael Sanzio von Urbino": the Elements of Lithographic Drawing", with thirteen of his own lithographs.
Rehberg died in Munich on the 20 August 1835.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Rehberg, as of 09/24/2018.
Ticinese etcher and painter Pietro Bettelini (1763-1828) began his training in Milan and later continued in Bologna under Gaetano Gandolfi (1734-1802). Circa 1781 Bettelini went to London and to study with Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815). Afterwards he studied with Charles-Nicolas Cochin (1715-1790) in Paris.
Jean-Abraham Lissignol was born in Geneva in 1749. He was the pupil and partner of Jean-Marc Roux and later was apprenticed in Paris. He was one of the most important enamel miniature painters and was specialised on snuffboxes and watch cases. He worked for Jaquet-Droz, Leschot, Rochat, John Rich and Jean-Georges Rémond & Company He died in Plainpalais in 1819.
Sold
estimated
6.500—10.000 €
Price realized
8.100 €