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A SET OF 22 GERMAN NEOCLASSIC POLYCHROME-PAINTED CANVAS WALL PANELS Commissioned by Marg...

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:120,000.00 - 180,000.00 USD
A SET OF 22 GERMAN NEOCLASSIC POLYCHROME-PAINTED CANVAS WALL PANELS Commissioned by Marg...
A SET OF 22 GERMAN NEOCLASSIC POLYCHROME-PAINTED CANVAS WALL PANELS

Commissioned by Margrave Carl Friedrich von Baden (1728-1811) for the great hall of Schloß Bauschlott, painted by Carl Kuntz (1770-1830) and Johann C. H. Koopman (1797-1894), circa 1806 Oil and paper on canvas Consisting of: four large oil paintings on canvas: 901/2 X 67 IN. (230 X 170 CM), 911/2 X 76 IN. (232 X 195 CM) and 901/2 X 79 IN. (230 X 202 CM) eight wall panels with grotesques: 114 X 30 IN. (289 X 30 CM), 110 X 28 IN. (280 X 71 CM), 1123/4 X 421/2 (286 X 108 CM), 110 X 42 IN. (280 X 108 CM) four supraporte reproducing mythological scenes: 391/2 X 49 IN. (100 X 125 CM) two further supraporte depicting putti and garlands: 16 X 65 IN. (40 X 166 CM) four frieze panels with swans and acanthus: 213/4 X 781/2 IN. (55 X 199 CM) and 16 X 82 IN. (40 X 210 CM), respectively

$120,000-180,000

ProvenancE the great hall, Schloß Bauschlott; by descent the Margraves and Grand Dukes von Baden (sold Sotheby's Baden-Baden, October 5-6, 1995, lot 1021).

Literature Valdenaise, Arthur. Freidrich Weinbrenner. Sein Leben und seine Bauten. 2nd ed. Karlsruhe, 1926. Lacroix, E., P. Hirshfeld, and W. Paeseler. Die Kunstdenkmaler des Amtsbezirks Pforzheim Land. Karlsruhe, 1938, S.30. Theilmann, Rudolf and Edith Ammann. Die deutschen Zeichnungen des 19 Jarhunderts aus der Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Kupferstichkabinett. Karlsruhe, 1978, S344, Nr.2144. Benedict, Lieseolette. Der Badische Hofmaler Carl Kuntz 1770-1830. Phil. Diss. Karlsruhe, 1981, bes. S.17, 44-46, 67, Anm.47, 163-166.

This set of decorative paintings portrays scenes from the mythological legend of Cupid and Psyche with accompanying frieze panels depicting grotesques and classical garlands. The paintings come from the great hall of the Schloß Bauschlott, situated to the north of Pforzheim. The Markgraf Carl Friedrich von Baden commissioned architect Freidrich Weinbrenner to build the castle on the foundations of the original 16th century manor house, and the project was completed in 1806.

In the same year, the landscape painter Carl Kuntz was commissioned to decorate the great hall, which was used as the formal reception room and situated on the second floor of the garden side of the castle. Kuntz had attracted the attention of the "Landesherr" (state ruler) as a member of the Mannheim Drawing Academy, and in 1805 he was made court painter in Baden. Kuntz's commission consisted of four large-scale landscape paintings, four over-door panels and eight large arabesque panels (Benedict, wv 1.53-1.68). Kuntz's planned division of the walls is portrayed in what must have been a preliminary drawing in the State Art Gallery in Karlsruhe (Inv. Nr. P.K.I 524-38; Benedict WY 4,204). Grand Duke Leopold (1790-1852, had the large-scale landscape paintings transferred from the castle in Pforzheim to his residential palace in Karlsruhe. They now belong to the Baden State Museum in Karlsruhe (Benedict WY 1.65-1.68). The commission for the central panels depicting four scenes from the legend of Cupid and Psyche was given by the Grand Duke to the painter Johann Carl Heinrich Koopmann, who had been called in 1833 to teach figure drawing at the Polytechnikum in Karlsruhe. Koopmann also did the grisaille paintings in the so-called "Four Seasons Hall" in Baden Castle.

In 1919 the paintings by Kuntz and Koopmann were removed from the tri-axial great hall in Castle Baden. The order of the paintings can be reconstructed from an old photograph of the narrow side of the hall (which can be obtained through Arthur Valdenaise). The grotesque molding under the roof is still in place today. The narrow panels depicting acanthus creepers and swans on a blue background, which flank a central bowl, were fixed under the central paintings. The supraporte with paintings of classical figures and putti painted en grisaille on a clay-colored ground were fixed over the four doors on the narrow side of the hall. The narrow panels depicting garland-carrying putti on a red ground were fixed above the higher doors on the long side of the hall. The turquoise-painted panels with golden foliate spirals and grotesques were applied to the corners of the hall. The central paintings, which were carried out at a later stage in the 1830s by Koopmann (to replace those originally commissioned by Kuntz, removed to the Karlsruhe Palace), have red-colored corners with acanthus embellishment conforming with the colors of the supraporte. Scenes from the legend of Cupid and Psyche are portrayed en grisaille on a linden-green ground; Cupid, who is actually invisible, comes to Psyche, who is already waiting for him in his palace to which she had brought Zephir to join them for their wedding night. The second painting portrays the lovers together. In the third scene Cupid is shown leaving his wife because, as a result of the malicious interrogations of her sisters, Psyche had become curious about the true appearance of her husband, and in spite of his warning, had succeeded in recognizing him. The fourth scene shows Psyche with Persephone from whom she is receiving the magical vessel filled with Beauty, which she must to take back to Venus. The "fladen" (flat-cake/bread) held in her other hand will serve to pacify the three-headed canine Cerberus, who guards the entrance to hell. Shortly before Psyche leaves Hades, curiosity tempts her to open the vessel and as punishment she falls into a deathlike trance from the escaping vapors of Beauty. Cupid finally comes to his wife's rescue, and entreats Jupiter for protection from the wrath of his Mother Venus
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