249 - FRANZ KRÜGER

FRANZ KRÜGER IMPERIAL PARADE OF NICHOLAS I. WATERCOLOR BY FRANZ KRÜGER. RUSSIA, 1847. An outstanding example of 19th-century court painting — the watercolor Nicholas I with His Entourage after the Parade (1847), created by the German artist Franz Krüger (1797–1857), court painter of Prussia and official portraitist of the Russian Imperial court. The composition captures a ceremonial scene with Emperor Nicholas I on a black steed, accompanied by both military and family members. Arranged in a dynamic arc, the Emperor is in the center, flanked by Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich and the young heir (presumably Alexander II) in the uniform of the Life Guards Hussars. On the left, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the Grand Duchesses are seated in an elegant carriage, shielded by parasols. The painting is signed on the lower front: F. Krüger 1847. On the reverse is an authentic ink inscription confirming its participation in the July 1916 auction of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (I.S.E.A.) at 38 Morskaya Street, Petrograd. The listed price of 1200 rubles indicates the high artistic and market value of the watercolor in pre-revolutionary Russia. The work is housed in its original massive mahogany veneer frame with gilt molding. Marks: Signature on the front: F. Krüger 1847 (on the carriage rim) Inscription on the reverse: F. Krüger 1847. Watercolor. 1200r. At the auction of I.S.E.A. Morskaya St. 38. July 1916. Dimensions: Watercolor: 55 × 79 cm. Frame: approx. 80 × 105 cm. Condition: Very good condition. Paper shows minor age toning; the composition remains clearly legible under glass. Original frame in excellent condition. Provenance: Russia / Prussia, 1847. Documented participation in the 1916 I.S.E.A. auction, Petrograd. Width: 101cm, Height: 81cm, Depth: 6cm, Weight: 20kg, Condition: Good, Material: Watercolor on paper, ID: ID-ANTQ-6093