Anton Kern

Anonymous sale, Vienna, Dorotheum, 4 July 1992, lot 15 (as Valentin Lefèvre).

U. Ruggeri, Valentin Lefèvre, Manerba 2001, p. 91, cat. no. Q17, reproduced in colour plate IV (as Valentin Lefèvre).

The canvas has a vertical join running down the centre of the painting, as visible in the catalogue illustration. It has an old loose relining and the paint surface is overall in good condition under a dirty, old, yellowed varnish. The darker brown areas have abraded somewhat and retouching work is visible to the naked eye in these areas. There are some scattered minor old damages, the largest of which is approx 5 by 8 cm lower left. Inspection under UV light is hampered by the old varnish but scattered retouchings in the aforementioned areas are just about discernable. Offered in a gilt wood and painted frame in good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work has in the past been attributed to Valentin Lefèvre (see Literature). However, the brushy handling of the figures does not fit into the smoother elements of Venetian seventeenth-century painting, and so the hand of Lefèvre can safely be excluded. The work in fact dates from the eighteenth century and can be attributed to the German artist Anton Kern, who worked in Giambattista Pittoni's studio from 1725 to 1735. The architectural elements certainly find their roots in Veronese, by whom Valentin was heavily influenced (and presumably wherein lies the past attributional confusion) but the handling of paint and the deliberate, almost affected movements of the dramatis personae, unmistakeably point towards the eighteenth century.

We are grateful to Dr. Andrew John Martin for proposing the attribution and for suggesting that the dwarf in the red-and-white costume is a possible self-portrait of the artist. Dr. Martin specifically compares the dwarf's physiognomy to that in Kern's self-portrait in the National Gallery of Prague, inv. no. K 46410 (see fig. 1). ¹

1.  See Anton Kern, Paintings and Drawings in Czech Lands, exh. cat., Prague 1998, p. 37, cat. no. K1.