Unknown painter, Portrait of a nobleman, late 18th century

In front of a darker background, a man, depicted to the waist and slightly turned to the right, stares at us happily. The face, part of the neck with the unbuttoned shirt and the left hand resting in the foreground stand out from the darker background. Judging by his face, the person depicted, with a pit in his chin and sensual lips, is a witty and enjoyable middle-aged man. He is dressed in a brown, homely top with an embroidered pattern and tassels on his chest. The head is covered with a heavily pleated headgear. Due to these and other data, the depicted person can be identified as a nobleman.

The excellent characterization of the face and the overall execution speak in favour of the assumption that this work is a hitherto unknown but high-quality Central European painter. Since the painting originates from Zaprice Castle, it is tempting to think that someone from the Wiederkehr family of nobles is depicted, who owned the castle from the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century and is also responsible for the a major castle renovation in the Baroque style.

More in the catalogue of Marko Lesar, Artworks from the depots of the Kamnik Museum, 1987.