Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich, called Dietricy, Noble Gathering in a Park

Lot description

Signed and dated lower left: Dietriecy fecit 1738 This painting is one of the most important large-format works by Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich, who called himself Dietricy in the italianisation of his name. The romantic park landscape with a grand Medici vase depicting a bacchanalian relief provides the backdrop for a fête galante reminiscent of Watteau. In doing so, he skilfully incorporates various influences—such as Lancret, Boucher, and Watteau—which are difficult to discern in detail, while developing his own unmistakable style. The work was created shortly before Dietricy was appointed court painter to Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony and later King of Poland. This work confirms the assessment of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, who described the painter as ‘the Raphael of our times in landscapes’. Dietrich excelled both as a history painter and with his genre paintings. His contemporaries celebrated him as an artist who could cleverly immerse himself in the style of great masters and paint in their 'taste.' A comparable painting from the collection of Prince Murat, Paris, featuring elegant figures in a park attending a comedic performance, was in the art trade in 2013 (Sotheby's, New York, January 31, 2013, lot 280). We would like to thank Dr. Petra Schniewind Michel, who has confirmed that this painting is an authentic work by Christian Ernst Wilhelm Dietrich.