Bidspirit auction | Johann Mathias Ranftl (1805-1854)

Johann Mathias Ranftl (1805-1854) - Johann Mathias Ranftl (1805-1854). CASTLE DOGS 1834 Oil on canvas, 94×109 cm (114×129 cm). Signed and dated lower right ”Ranftl 1834”. Framed in period gilded frames. A genre scene depicting two hunting dogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, in a richly furnished interior that opens onto a balcony with a landscape view. The painting excels in the precise rendering of textures such as the silky fur of the dogs, the velvet cushion with a tassel on which one dog stands, and the heavy red curtain in the background. At 94×109 cm, the painting represents an exceptionally large and representative work within his oeuvre. Such formats were usually intended for the main halls of aristocratic residences or palaces. Ranftl`s clientele was drawn from the highest echelons of society: his patron was, for example, Prince Esterházy, with whom Ranftl travelled to London. There he became acquainted with the work of Sir Edwin Landseer, which influenced his style – he began to portray animals with an almost human expression and emotions (so-called anthropomorphisation). The contemporary public appreciated honest craftsmanship, detailed realism and cosiness (Gemütlichkeit). This painting, with its motif of dogs on a luxurious cushion in a palatial setting, precisely met the contemporary demand for ”noble beauty” and fidelity. Condition A.