FRANZ CHRISTOPH JANNECK | Elegant company feasting on a terrace

oil on copper, unframed

Private collection, Miami, by 1983;
With Galerie Neuse, Bremen;
Where acquired by the present collector circa 1988.

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 work is in very good condition. The copper plate has been cradled and is flat. The paint layer and plate are stable. The work appears to be slightly dirty. Retouches are visible around the edges, in a couple of spots in the sky in the upper right, and in a small group in the dark dress of the figure on the far left. These few retouches have been accurately applied, and none are indicative of any abrasion or instability. The work could be hung in its current state, but it would respond to cleaning.
"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."

This painting is exemplary of the highly developed oil on coppers the Austrian artist Franz Christoph Janneck made during the 18th century. Janneck was born in Graz, but moved to Vienna by the 1730s where he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Art and later became one of the greatest artists of the Austrian Rococo. As seen in the present lot, he distinguished himself with his depictions of fête galante, which are considered his finest achievements. These festive and elegant scenes he developed owe much of their narrative to the paintings by the French artist Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). Furthermore, the extraordinary attention he placed on the beautifully rendered details of his works is reminiscent of the Netherlandish genre painters from the 17th century. The lavish scene depicted in the present lot includes a profusion of objects and textures all designed to produce an air of opulence and beauty that pays tribute to the artist’s innate skill as a painter. The smooth, pastel-colored silk costumes and curtains contrast with the sharp shimmering gold and silverware on the table, creating the perfect conversation piece.