Franz Christoph Janneck

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This pair of paintings is very well preserved. The copper panels are flat and un-dented. The paint layers are both stable and there is a slightly gritty texture to the gesso which is visible but original. The paint layers are both slightly dirty and it seems more than likely that there are hardly any restorations. In the composition with the man and woman standing on the left, there may be some discolored retouches in the sky yet these do not seem to address any particular damage. A full cleaning of both pictures is recommended as well as a light restoration of both frames. Overall, both paintings are in good condition.
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These two small scènes galantes are typical of Janneck's work -- essentially decorative paintings -- inspired by the rococo aesthetics of Jean-Antoine Watteau in France. The French influence is obvious on this level, and renders these paintings comparable to works such as Watteau's The Scale of Love (London, National Gallery), or Gathering in a Park (Madrid, Prado). However, the technique of oil painting on copper used in these works is reminiscent of Austrian artists, especially Janneck's exact contemporary Johann Georg Platzer (1704-1761) and for instance, his series on The Pleasures of the Seasons, circa 1730 (Minneapolis Institute of Arts). Established in Vienna since 1721, Platzer was Janneck's close friend and direct rival. The handling of these two paintings is close to Platzer's conversation pieces.