Cheffins
Lot 810
Attributed to Peter Paul Kirchebner (Austrian, 1812-1842) Portrait of Philippine Welser, head and shoulders, in black dress with white ruff, wearing a gold collar necklace with pendant set with pearls, rectangular-cut rubies, emeralds, a cabochon sapphire, and a headdress of pearls and oval cabochon sapphires oil on panel, in a gilded black frame 19 x 14cm (7 x 5in) Other Notes: Philippine Welser (1527 – 1580) was the morganatic wife of Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria. She was granted the titles Baroness of Zinnenburg, Margravine of Burgau, Landgravine of Mellenburg and Countess of Oberhohenberg and Niederhohenberg. She was born in Augsburg. Her family, the Welsers of Augsburg, were merchants and financiers of European significance and great wealth. Her uncle Bartholomeus V. Welser received Venezuela as security for a loan from the King of Spain in 1528 and the family thus became rulers of the colony. Philippine Welser was renowned for both her beauty and her learning. She died at Schloss Ambras, Innsbruck in the Tyrol. A print exists of this composition by Kirchebner which is believed to have once been or still is in the Welser family's Augsburg house. A painting of Philippine Welser by Kirchebner is in the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck.. to which the presdnt painting may well be related. Peter Paul Kirchebner came from a traditional Malerfamile. Already at the age of 13 years, he copied paintings and was then awarded a scholarship at the Academy in Munich, where he studied between 1826-28. Then he attended also the academies in Vienna and Venice. After completing his studies, he returned to the Tyrol and earned his living with portraits, genre paintings and religious panel paintings in the style of the Biedermeier period. Some of his works are preserved in the Tyrolean State Museum. Born on 29 June 1812 in Axams he died on 4th September 1846 in Fügen.Panel has three vertical cracks running through the panel. A little dirty. In a painted oval with scuffing all round the edges. Loose in its frame. Frame is quite distressed.
