# Moritz Michael Daffinger artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/moritz-michael-daffinger/
Profile generated: 2026-05-30T22:44:19.750Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1790-01-25
- Death date: 1849-08-22
- Nationality: Austrian
- Movements: Biedermeier
- Common media: Miniature painting, Porcelain painting, Watercolor, Etching, Drawing, Sculpture

## About Moritz Michael Daffinger

Moritz Michael Daffinger (1790–1849) was an Austrian miniature painter, porcelain artist, and sculptor active in Vienna during the Biedermeier period. Born on January 25, 1790, in Vienna, he was the son of the porcelain painter Johann Leopold Daffinger and trained in the decorative arts from an early age. Daffinger became one of the most sought-after miniature portraitists of his generation, serving as a court painter and producing exquisitely detailed portraits on ivory and porcelain for the Austrian aristocracy and rising bourgeois class. His work bridged the refined traditions of Viennese porcelain decoration and the intimate portraiture that defined Biedermeier-era taste. In addition to miniatures, he worked in watercolor, etching, and drawing. He died in Vienna on August 22, 1849. Collectors encounter his works primarily through miniature portraits and painted porcelain pieces that appear at auction and in museum collections worldwide.

## Common works and media

Daffinger is most commonly encountered in appraisal and auction contexts through portrait miniatures on ivory or vellum, painted porcelain plaques and cups (often Viennese), watercolor portrait studies, etchings, and preparatory drawings. His subjects are predominantly bust-length portraits of Austrian nobility, military officers, and middle-class patrons from the Biedermeier era. Porcelain pieces bearing his decoration may also appear as part of larger Viennese porcelain services or standalone decorative objects.

## Market and appraisal context

Daffinger miniatures and porcelain paintings appear regularly at major European auction houses, particularly in Vienna, London, and Munich. Value depends heavily on medium (ivory miniatures versus porcelain plaques), subject identification, provenance, and condition. Works with clear attribution, documented provenance linking to notable sitters or Habsburg court circles, and pristine condition tend to perform strongest at auction. Because Daffinger's style was widely imitated by his workshop and later copyists, expert authentication is essential. Comparable auction results should be reviewed alongside specialist consultation before establishing an appraisal value.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine researched artist identity data from library authority files and museum records with auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lot records when those records are available. For Moritz Michael Daffinger, identity data is grounded in the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata authority records. Market observations are general and should be verified against current comparable sales data.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/19657
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q254509
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moritz_Daffinger
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500012015
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500108707
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/49488121/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85250325