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# 18345
Henri Benner (1776-1836) "Grand Duchess Catharina Pavlovna", Famous Russian Miniature!!, 1810s
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"Portrait of the daughter of Tsar Pavel I, Grand Duchess of Russia and Queen of Wuerttemberg Catharina Pavlovna Romanov (1788 -1819)".
*The sitter of this portrait, Grand Duchess Catharina Pavlovna (1788-1819) was a favorite of her mother, Empress Maria Fedorovna, and her brother, Tsar Alexander I. She was best educated and constantly completed her education through reading new literary publications and personal contacts with various outstanding persons. After Napoleon's divorce from Empress Josephine the French Emperor, who encountered Alexander I in Erfurt in 1808, hinted to his wish to marry Catharina Pavlovna. The worried Maria Fedorovna hasted to prevent this and arranged her daughter's marriage to a cousin, Prince Peter Friedrich von Oldenburg, who was appointed General Governor of Tver. The young Grand Duchess moved with her husband to Tver, where she helped him at his work and formed a circle of outstanding persons of Russia of that time: Karamzin, Rostopchin, poet Neledinski-Meletski, artist Kiprenski, etc. She took painting lessons from artist A.E.Egorov, draw illustrations to the poems of her husband. During Napoleonic wars of 1813-1815 Catharina Pavlovna joined her brother Tsar Alexander I at his foreign campaigns, was present at the Vienna Congress. In January 1816 Grand Duchess married for the second time; her husband became her cousin Crown Prince of Wuerttemberg Wilhelm. The same year he became the King and Catharina Pavlovna the Queen of Wuerttemberg. She died in Stuttgart at the age of 31.
Our miniature formerly belonged to the collection of Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich Romanov. It can be seen as illustration in the famous book on Russian iconography "Russian Portraits of XVIII-XIX centuries", edition of Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich Romanov, Volume I, page 95, illustration 144. The miniature is reproduced in the same frame! Please see our first additional image.
As second additional image we show here an engraving of Andre Joseph Mecou (1771 Grenoble - 1837 Paris) after this miniature.
The miniature is unfortunately slightly damaged: it is somewhat convex, there is a split in ivory plate (from upper edge through Catharina's head on the right side up to her chin level); the paint on hair is slightly rubbed off. Besides that, the miniature lost some of its colour intensity. Nevertheless, this work of Benner remains an extraordinarily important memorial of Russian history.
Henri (Jean Henri) Benner (1776 Mühlhousen - 1836 Paris) already in his youth had painted oil portraits and landscapes and probably produced copper engravings as well. He traveled to Paris and through Germany and returned to Mühlhausen for a short period (1803/1804). For roughly a year (1815-1816) he evidently stayed in Warsaw, where he created portraits of many Polish aristocrats and artists. Afterwards he began his studies with Isabey in Paris, who influenced him decisively. Due to Isabey's connections Benner was appointed court painter to Alexander I in St. Petersburg in 1817, where he remained until 1828. He not only painted numerous members of the court, but he also produced copies of Isabey's and other works. In 1820 he published graphical reproductions of portrait miniatures of the Russian nobility. The insolvency of the publishing house led to Renner's financial ruin. In vain he tried to collect his money in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kursk. Completely impoverished he returned to Mühlhausen and devoted himself to glass painting.
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Condition: fairly good
Creation Year: 1810s
Measurements:UNFRAMED:7,7x5,6cm/3,0x2,2in FRAMED: 8,9x7,0cm/3,5x2,8in
Object Type:framed watercolor
Style: Portrait Miniatures
Technique: watercolor on ivory
Inscription:signed: Benner
Creator: Henri (Jean Henri) Benner
Creator Dates: 1776 Mülhousen-1836 Paris
Nationality:French
- 2-3 days door-to-door shipment, professionally packed by Mail Boxes Etc and shipped with DHL (calculated for US):
71,21 EUR + insurance 1,8% of item price
Shipping cost to other destinations (worldwide) on request
Shipping price may be reduced if you dispense with the frame - Cheaper alternative (may be further reduced if you dispense with the frame): professionally packed by Mail Boxes Etc and shipped with regular Austrian mail - upon request under office@wilnitsky.com (OBS: In this case maximal refunded insurance value is EUR 500 if shipping destination was the US. In Europe sometimes more, depending on destination.)
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