Füger, Heinrich Friedrich

Description:

Heilbronn 1751 - Wien 1818
66 x 53 cm
Self portrait. Half-length figure, in profile to the right. Oil/canvas.
Northern German collection. Expert report by Prof. Dr. Helmut Börsch-Supan, Sept. 2014. Lit.: Robert Keil, Heinrich Friedrich Füger 1751 - 1818. Nur wenigen ist es vergönnt das Licht der Wahrheit zu sehen, Vienna 2009. Monograph with catalogue raisonné.
Füger was one of the most famous and influential painters of Classicism. In addition to his formative work as an artist, the "Art Pope of Vienna" became director of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1795 and director of the Imperial Picture Gallery in the Belvedere in 1806.
In his catalogue raisonné (13 self-portraits, including miniatures and drawings, are listed here; see above ) Keil includes a self-portrait of the painter of approximately the same dimensions, which is considered lost. It is said to have been found in the artist's estate. It may be identical to the present work.
In his expert report, Helmut Börsch-Supan suggests a date of around 1815.