Christian Friedrich Reinhold Lisiewski (1725-1794)

Portrait of Luise Friederike, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, née Duchess of Württemberg-Stuttgart (1722-1791), small bust length, wearing a light blue dress with lace chemise and veil, earrings, wig and the sash and the badge of the Russian order of Saint Catherine; and Portrait of Ulrike Sofie, Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1723-1813) small bust length, wearing a light blue dress with lace chemise and veil, pearl necklace, earrings and a wig

Details

Christian Friedrich Reinhold Lisiewski (1725-1794)
Portrait of Luise Friederike, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, née Duchess of Württemberg-Stuttgart (1722-1791), small bust length, wearing a light blue dress with lace chemise and veil, earrings, wig and the sash and the badge of the Russian order of Saint Catherine; and Portrait of Ulrike Sofie, Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1723-1813) small bust length, wearing a light blue dress with lace chemise and veil, pearl necklace, earrings and a wig
the first with the crowned inventory number 548 on a label on the stretcher and with the inventory numbers 4696 (in blue) and 1004 (in red) on the stretcher; the second with the crowned inventory number 391 on a label on the stretcher and with the inventory numbers 4695 (in blue) and 1003 (in red) on the stretcher
oil on unlined canvas, ovals, the first unframed
66.5 x 51.3 cm; and 65.4 x 49.1 cm (2)

Exhibited

Schwerin, 1954, n0179, as manner of Christian Friedrich Reinhold Lisiewski (the first); and Schwerin, 1954, n0170 (the second).

Lot Essay

The second is a version of the picture, signed and dated 1780, in the Staatliches Museum Schwerin, inv. n0166 (Cat. Schwerin 1954, p.105, n0169, plate LXI).

The artist, uncle of Georg David Matthieu, became court painter under Duke Friedrich der Fromme, after Matthieu's death in 1778. Born in Berlin, he started his career as a court painter in Dessau. In contrast to Matthieu's oeuvre, Lisiewski's portraits are distinctive for their psychological insight, more than in the detailed rendering of costumes.
The sitters in the present pictures were sisters-in-law. The first, daughter of Friedrich Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg-Stuttgart, married Friedrich, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1717-1785) on 2 March 1746 (see the note to lot 14). The second, daughter of Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1683-1756) and Gustave Karoline, Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1694-1748), remained unmarried.

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