"supreme quality oil on cardboard miniature portrait of the young (20-25-year-old) prince albert of saxony, duke of teschen (1738-1822; for his extensive biographical information, see our image nr. 7; for his other portraits, see our images nr. 8-9). In april 1766, in vienna, he married maria theresia's most favored daughter, archduchess marie christine, who was also his cousing of the 2nd degree. The portrait strongly resembles works of german artist johann heinrich tischbein the elder (see for comparison our image nr. 10), and could have very likely been painted in germany, few years before the sitter's wedding. Johann heinrich tischbein the elder called "the kasseler" (1722 haina - 1789 kassel) was one of the most respected european painters in the 18th century and an important member of the tischbein dynasty of german painters, which spanned four generations. His work was primarily comprised of portraits of the nobility, mythological scenes and historical paintings. For his mythology paintings, he mostly resorted to models of the highest aristocracy. Tischbein was the founder and a painting teacher at the kassel art academy. He was a son of baker johann heinrich tischbein and susanne margaretha hinsing. After studying art in kassel between 1736 and 1741 from the wallpaper painter zimmermann and the court artist johann georg von freese, he began receiving commissions from the courts of small principalities in the region around kassel. In 1743, sponsored by count johann philipp von stadion, tischbein went to paris, where he became a pupil of carle van lod. In 1749, he came to venice to study under gianbattista piazetta. In 1750/51, he stayed in rome. In 1753, he was appointed court artist of landgrave wilhelm viii of hesse-kassel. In that period, he began decorating works in the latter's summer residence, castle wilhelmstahl (there, he executed 66 paintings in total; among others, the so-called "schönheitsgalerie" ("gallery of beauties")). During the french occupation (7-year-war), from 1756 to 1762, he lived out of kassel, moving to different places. Once back home, he became in 1762 a professor at the newly founded "akademie collegium carolinum" in kassel. He died in that city on august 22, 1789 ". Date: circa 1760. Dimensions: height: 10.1 cm (3.9 in); width: 8.5 cm (3.3 in). Medium: miniature, oil on card. Collection: Unidentified location. Attributed to Joh. Heinrich Tischbein - Albert Casimir of Saxony-Teschen
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