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# 43347
Carl August Senff "Lorenz Ewers, Professor of Dorpat (Derpt) University", unique portrait!, 1820 2900 EUR
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This, clearly signed and dated - "C.Senff p.(inxit) Dorpat 1820" - watercolor portrait shows an elderly gentleman in civile dress, decorated with a neck cross of Russian Order of St. Anna of the 2nd class.
At that time the town Dorpat (in Russian: Derpt) was an "uezdnyi" centre in Liflandskaya Gubernia (then part of Russian Empire; now Tartu, Estonia). This town is especially known for its famous "Derptskyi" University (established by Tsar Alexander I in 1801).
The author of this portrait, German artist Carl (Karl) August Senff was a teacher of drawing at this university almost from the beginning.
The depicted gentleman was (due to relatively high class of St.Anna Order) either a high-ranking official at the local administration or one of the fellow university professors, colleagues of Senff.
In an attempt to identify the sitter we turned as usual to standard reference source - the 1821 issue (reflects situation of 1820 (sic! - year of portrait's execution!)) of Russian state calendar "Mesiatseslov".
Among several persons who were then living in Liflandskaya Gubernia and possessing in 1820 only (!) St.Anna of 2nd class we found a single candidate, in age corresponding with the visual age (70/80 years) of our sitter (all other were at most 40/45-years-old) - the professor of the theological faculty of Dorpat University, 79-year-old Lorenz Ewers (1741-1830; see our images nr.10-12; St.Anna of 2nd class he was awarded on 19th February 1819). Today he is especially remembered through a poem of famous Russian poet Vasili Andreevich Zhukovskyi "To elder Ewers", dedicated to him (see our image nr.13).
Carl August Senff was born on 12th March 1770 in Kreypau by Merseburg (today in German province Sachsen-Anhalt) and died on 2nd January 1836 in Dorpat (Derpt; now Tartu, Estonia). His father, Karl Friedrich Senff (1739-1814) was an evangelical theologist.
From 1788 to 1793 Carl August studied at Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts where his teacher was Adam Friedrich Oeser. From 1795 he studied under Christian Leberecht Vogel at the Academy of Dresden. In that period he specialised as a portrait artist and engraver.
In 1803 he was invited to Dorpat (Derpt) where he obtained a job of a drawing teacher at the newly founded university there. In 1818 he received title of an adjunct professor from this university.
Among his pupils were well-known German-Baltic artists - Friedrich Ludwig Maydel, August Philipp Klara, August Matthias Hagen, August Georg Wilhelm Pezold, Woldemar Friedrich Krüger and Friedrich Sigismund Stern.
As a portraitist Senff is chiefly known for his portraits of Derpt theologists (sic!).
Almost 100% of his works which one can find on the current antique market today are portrait engravings executed by him in Derpt. Hand-drawn portraits are extremely rare (some of them are to see in museums of Russia (see our additional images 16-18)).
We add that his younger brother Adolf Senff (who was 15 years his junior) also became an artist, one of the most known representatives of the Nazarene School.
Provenance: German antique trade (as portrait of unknown man)
Condition: fairly good; in original frame
Creation Year: 1820
Measurements: UNFRAMED:15,0x11,0cm/5,9x4,3in FRAMED: 26,9x22,1cm/10,6x8,7in
Object Type: Framed miniature
Style: Portrait miniatures
Technique: watercolor on paper (oval; laid by artist onto tin plaque and again on paper)
Inscription: signed and dated: C.Senff p.(inxit) Dorpat 1820
Creator: Carl August Senff
To see other works by this artist click on the name above!
Creator Dates: 1770 Kreypau-1836 Dorpat
Nationality: German / Baltic
- 2-3 days door-to-door shipment, professionally packed by Mail Boxes Etc and shipped with DHL (calculated for US):
109,99 EUR + insurance 1,8% of item price
Shipping cost to other destinations (worldwide) on request
Shipping price may be reduced if you dispense with the frame - Cheaper alternative (may be further reduced if you dispense with the frame): professionally packed by Mail Boxes Etc and shipped with regular Austrian mail - upon request under office@wilnitsky.net (OBS: In this case maximal refunded insurance value is EUR 500 if shipping destination was the US. In Europe sometimes more, depending on destination.)
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