"Gabinete de pinturas". Oil on canvas.
Provenance:
- Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel (label on reverse).
- Private collection.
Johann Michael Bretschneider (1680-1729) was a German painter active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, known for his outstanding depictions of collectors' interiors, at a historical moment situated at the transition between the Baroque and Rococo eras. Bretschneider succeeded in depicting these interiors in a unique way, standing out for his ability to capture the grandeur and splendor of cabinets of curiosities and art galleries, where not only paintings but also scientific and astronomical objects and luxury furniture were grouped. These spaces were a reflection of the erudition and status of the collectors, and Bretschneider’s compositions promote the idea of places dedicated to knowledge, learning and the admiration of beauty. Often monumental in size, the paintings are arranged in such a way as to create harmonious, almost ideal spaces in which the perfection of the composition invites the viewer to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of contemplation and wonder. Although little is known about his life, it is known that Bretschneider began his career as an apprentice in his hometown and, in 1683, moved to Most. In 1697, he continued his training in Prague under Johann Rudolf Byss, and in 1700 he became a member of the city’s Painters’ Guild. He spent the last years of his life in Vienna, where he died. Throughout his career, he has also been credited with a number of genre works and still lifes, but his most outstanding works remain those depicting interiors in which art collections take centre stage.
Among Bretschneider's most notable works are those held in institutions such as the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, which attest to his skill in depicting these vast and opulent interiors.
Bretschneider's work provides valuable testimony to the evolution of collecting in Europe in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and in particular to the influence of Flemish and Dutch art collections on the tastes of collectors in Bohemia and Austria. The interiors he depicted, although not precisely identified, were probably inspired by palaces in Austria or Bohemia, some of which may have disappeared over time. However, Bretschneider's compositions, by capturing the idealized arrangement of the paintings in these spaces, have become important historical documents that reflect the taste, luxury and collecting power of the period, and their influence endures as a key piece to understanding the visual culture of that transition between the two centuries. 83 x 104 cm
This lot requires export license
Starting price
6.000 €
HAMMER PRICE
6.500 €
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