Lot 521
  • 521

Johann Georg de Hamilton

Estimate
70,000 - 90,000 USD
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Description

  • Johann Georg de Hamilton
  • A Lipizzaner stallion with curly coat led by a groom; A Lipizzaner stallion with "tiger" coat held by a groom in Oriental costume
  • the first faintly signed in monogram center right on base of plinth: JGHL
  • a pair, both oil on original canvas

Condition

The paintings are unlined and are stable and firm on their stretchers. The images are clear and defined and the paint surfaces are clean beneath clear varnishes. Under ultraviolet light, the canvas depicting the curly coated horse facing right reveals only minor cosmetic retouches scattered here and there and some strengthening to the hair and hat of the groom. The horse is largely untouched. The canvas depicting the smooth coated horse facing right reveals two parallel lines of retouching, running horizontally from edge to edge, approx. three and 5 inches from the upper edge. There is some possible older retouched strengthening to the flesh and drapery of the groom and further minor cosmetic retouching scattered here and there in the background. The paintings overall present clear and attractive images. They require no further work and are ready to hang in their present state. Offered in decoratively carved gilt wood frames with a little wear.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Johann Georg de Hamilton was the son of the Scottish still-life painter James Hamilton. Like his brothers, the artists Philipp Ferdinand and Karl Wilhelm de Hamilton, he spent his career as a court painter in central Europe.  After working for the Princes of Schwarzenberg and Liechtenstein, he was appointed court painter to Charles VI.  In 1729, Charles had established the Winter Riding School in Vienna, the purpose of which was to supply horses for court ceremonies.  The horses were bred at the Lipizza or Lipica stud near the Adriatic coast (present-day Slovenia).  Johann Georg often painted portraits of the emperor’s famed Lipizzaners, a breed developed from Spanish and Arabian horses.  Johann George’s painting of The Imperial Riding School in Vienna (Liechtenstein Collection, Vaduz), depicts horses in a variety of colors and it was not until the 19th century that the Lipizzaners were bred to be pure white, as they are today.  This pair portrays a spotted “tiger” horse, probably from the Iberian Peninsula, and a Curly Horse of ancient origin, whose ancestry is still being debated today.