1295 - Gottfried Boy (1701 Frankfurt am Main – 1755 Hanover)

Gottfried Boy (1701 Frankfurt am Main – 1755 Hanover) Portrait of a Noble Gem Collector Life-size bust portrait in casual yet elegant attire: dressed in a finely woven white shirt, an open, dark blue jacket with delicate gold appliqués and pink lacing, a loosely draped coat, and a beret on his head. His head, shown in a slight three-quarter profile, faces the viewer with a self-assured, open gaze; in his right hand, he holds an open envelope bearing red seal impressions. This painting is one of Boy’s earliest works, yet it already reflects his mastery as a portraitist. Gottfried Boy was the son of the goldsmith and painter Peter Boy the Elder (c. 1650–1727), who was appointed in 1712 by Elector Johann Wilhelm of Palatinate-Neuburg as his gallery curator and court painter in Düsseldorf. He therefore likely received his initial artistic training from his father. Around 1736/37, Gottfried Boy became a court painter to the Elector of Hanover and to the King of England in Hanover. In the Electorate—and occasionally elsewhere—Boy was commissioned to paint portraits by the nobility, members of the upper classes, and economically rising citizens. Oil on canvas; signed and dated “Godefroy Boy pinxit 1728” on the left edge of the painting at the base of the column. On the reverse, an old inscription reads “pinxit Boy de London.” 74 cm x 62 cm. Framed. Provenance: Auction at J. M. Heberle (H. Lempertz’s Sons), “Catalog of the Painting Collection of Consul Hermann Wirz in Basel (...)”, Cologne, May 20, 1890, Lot 118; Auction in Bassenge, May 29, 2015, Lot 6046. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1728.