169 - P. VEIT (1793–1877), Hunter with Prey, Pencil

P. VEIT (1793–1877), Hunter with Prey, Pencil Philipp Veit (1793, Berlin – 1877, Mainz): Hunter with Two Hunting Dogs and Prey, 19th century, Pencil Technique: Pencil on paper Stamp: Collector’s stamp on the reverse, Lugt no.: 1159. Georg Hamminger (d. 1895). Regensburg. 19th century Inscription: inscribed lower right: “Veit Date: 19th century Description: Philipp Veit’s name is closely associated with Nazarene art. In 1815, Moses Mendelssohn’s grandson joined the Lukasbund led by Friedrich Overbeck in Rome and participated in the frescoes at the Casa Bartholdy and the Casino Massimo. From 1830 onward, he was responsible for transforming the Städel Art Institute into a Nazarene stronghold in Germany under his leadership. His religious motifs, along with those of Friedrich Overbeck, still exert a decisive influence on the image of that group of artists. Therefore, our drawing is of particular interest, as it is one of the few pieces of evidence that Veit also addressed subjects outside of religious art and portraiture. The sheet, marked on both the front and back, depicts a hunter with his two dogs out hunting (the back shows the hunter with his shotgun cocked). Since the figure is a nude study, Veit seems to have merely clarified the composition here. He would elaborate on the details in a subsequent step. He has already worked through the rough outlines with a few minor variations. The drawing was therefore likely followed by an oil painting, which unfortunately no longer survives today. Since the motif is relatively unique in Veit’s oeuvre, it is obvious to recognize in the depicted hunter the artist’s longtime patron, Franz von Bernus, with whom Veit himself often went hunting. Bernus not only had his wife portrayed by Veit, but also commissioned additional works from the artist and donated a painting for the Kaisersaal in Frankfurt’s Römer. Provenance: Georg Hamminger, Regensburg Verso: Another study of a hunter Keywords: Hunting, Animals, Dogs, Study sheet, Sketch, Nazarene, 19th century, Romanticism, Hunting, Germany, Size: Paper: 25.6 cm x 26.8 cm (10.1 x 10.6 in) Condition: Good condition. Pale foxing. Slightly dusty along the edges. The lines for the transfer are smudged.