Johann Schlesinger, Portrait of a Gentleman

Oil on canvas; 13 by 11 in; 33 x 28 cm; signed and dated 1816; held in an early 19th century Biedemeier style wood frame
Provenance: Private Collection, Belgium

Hailing from a family of painters, Johann Schlesinger was born in Ebertsheim and initially taught by his father of the same name. Known for his still life work he went on to establish a fairly successful portrait practice, tending to favour small scale studies of character, such as the portrait presented here. Always with a provincial manner these charming works are worthy depictions of the middle classes living in the Rhineland Palatinate, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Both father and son worked for the rulers, the Princes of Leiningen, and were kept busy with commissions for churches as well as private portraits.