30 - "A Gentleman Reading," Albert Joseph Franke (Buchwitz near Breslau 1860–1924 Munich)

"A Gentleman Reading," Albert Joseph Franke (Buchwitz near Breslau 1860–1924 Munich) Oil on wood. Signed "A. J. Franke" lower left. Depiction of a gentleman reading, dressed in Rococo costume and wearing a wig, in a wood-paneled interior. In his right hand he holds a book; in his left, a long white clay pipe. To the left are a window and a curtain; to the right, a table with a book and papers, as well as a red upholstered chair; on the walls, two framed paintings. Surface shows scratches and scuffs, particularly in the area of the signature, along the lower third of the left edge of the painting, on the left near the curtain, and on the right near the back of the chair. Small, light-colored spots scattered across the picture surface. The frame shows scuffing and areas where the gold-colored gilding is missing, particularly along the edges and in the corners; there is a larger area of missing gilding in the lower left corner, exposing the wood. Painting dimensions: 24.5 × 18 cm; frame dimensions: 27.8 × 21.3 cm. Franke was a genre and Oriental painter active in Munich who primarily created Rococo scenes set in 18th-century interiors as well as North African market scenes. Condition: II