Jakob Philipp Hackert

Dr. J. Ley;
With Richard Green, London, 1968;
Mrs. Crossland.

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. The restoration to this picture is reasonably effective. The canvas has a good glue lining. The paint layer is stable and the varnish is attractive. It can be seen under ultraviolet light that retouches have been added in the shadows beneath the dog, to the left of the dog, in the fur between the legs and in his left shoulder. There are a few isolated spots of retouching in the foliage in the lower right, but the only significant restorations are in the center of the sky where three paint losses have received restorations. These are about an inch long by a quarter of an inch high. The work can easily be hung in its current state, but the restorations could be improved.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Jakob Philipp Hackert, Court Painter to King Ferdinand IV of Naples (1751-1825), is best known as one of the most distinguished landscape painters of his day.  Born in Prenzlau in 1737, Hackert first worked with his father Philipp Hackert, a portraitist.  He then studied at the Berlin Academy and, in 1761, two of his works were purchased for Frederick the Great.  Hackert spent three years in Paris from 1765 to 1768, where he was considerably influenced by the French landscapist Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789).  In 1768, he left for Italy where he was to spend the rest of his life.  He settled in Naples as court painter in 1786 and would remain in that position for thirteen years.

This charming portrait of a King Charles Spaniel is one of a group of paintings of dogs which Hackert executed over more than two decades.  Some were his own pets and others belonged to the Royal family.  Ferdinand IV was an avid huntsman (often neglecting matters of state for this passion) who took more interest in his hunting dogs than his own children.  When the Royal family was forced to flee Naples for Sicily under Admiral Nelson’s protection during the Republican uprising of 1799, the King was more concerned about the fate of his hounds than the chaos of his crumbling nation.

This portrait of a King Charles Spaniel reflects Hackert’s delicate, detailed style, also evident in the acute observation of the plant at right, and ability to evoke an animal’s character. The King Charles Spaniel was a favorite pet in European courts and, though originally bred as a hunting dog, its small size made it more suited to the life of a lapdog (see also lot 122 in this sale).  A group of four lively tempera portraits of dogs in the collection of the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin attests, like the present work, to Hackert’s empathy for man’s best friend.¹

The attribution of this painting to Jakob Philipp Hackert has been confirmed by Dr. Claudia Nordloff.

 

1.  See C. Nordhoff and H. Reimer, Jakob Philipp Hackert 1737-1807, Berlin 1994, Vol. II, pp. 170-171, cat. nos. 350-353; Vol. I, pp. 198-199, cat. nos. 350-352 reproduced.