| Artist | |
|---|---|
| Date | 1792–1793 között |
| Object type | sketch for a painting |
| Medium, technique | canvas, oil |
| Dimensions | image: 59 × 37 cm |
| Inventory number | 74.3M |
| Collection | Old Hungarian Collection |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, Second Floor, Variations on the Baroque – Art in Hungary 1600-1800 |
Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy (1765–1833) inherited his passion for art from his grandfather, Nikolaus I Esterházy, “the Magnificent”. Following his grandfather’s example, he also employed the composer Joseph Haydn as his court conductor, and devoted large sums to augmenting his natural science as well as graphic art collections and gallery. After their state purchase in 1871, the latter provided the core of the Museum of Fine Arts’s collection.
The composition by painter Martin Knoller emphasises Esterházy’s role as a patron of the arts and depicts the prince in the uniform of a lieutenant of the Hungarian Royal Guard, as he leans his elbow on a statue of Minerva, the goddess of science and art. The oil sketch of the prince, who was equally successful in his military and diplomatic career, was made for a large portrait executed in 1793.
Mojzer, Miklós (ed.), A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria régi gyűjteményei, Corvina Kiadó, Budapest, 1984, 206.
Mojzer, Miklós (ed.), Ungarische Nationalgalerie Budapest: Alte Sammlung, Corvina Kiadó, Budapest, 1984, 206.
Mojzer, Miklós (ed.), The Hungarian National Gallery: The Old Collections, Corvina Kiadó, Budapest, 1984, 206.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
