Joseph II (1741-1790) renews The Art Academy of Vienna 1786

To the left you see an allegory of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation Joseph II (1741-1790) renewing The Art Academy of Vienna 1786. No signatures, symbols, texts or names neither under the frame nor on the backside. No nothing. Oil on canvas. 70 cm x 59 cm. So who painted it ? It must have been ordered by the academy from one of its members to commemorate the event. But which member ? That remained a mystery until 2007, when the drawing to the right turned up at a Viennese art dealer. That's an allegory too. Signed "Firdinato Harrach. Dom. Kindermann Roma 1776". Firdinato Harrach is the Italian name for count Ferdinand Bonaventura II von Harrach (1708-1778), who was Dominikus Kindermann (1739-1817)'s patron. DK was a member of the academy and no wonder he wanted to pay tribute to him. The composition is very much the same in painting and drawing, so my theory is, that DK is the artist of both painting and drawing. I've discussed the theory with a Viennese art historian, who believes my theory is convincing. Still, I might be wrong, so if you have a better suggestion, then tell me !

 

I don't see any similarities. especially not in the composition. the right-hand one reminds me of the Habsburger Totenkult; there was an excellent exhibition in the Hofburg Museum in Innsbruck a few years back.
for further research there would be clear pics needed of the head and face of the Emperor on the left tableau.
or ask at the Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek if they have a specialist for the "Portheimkatalog“.
furthermore here an interesting Diss:
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11027954.pdf

 

Like I wrote, a Viennese art historian I discussed the matter with found my theory convincing. If you have a better theory, then tell me. I believe I've read the Diis before. The portraits herein confirms that the emperor on my painting is Joseph II.

 

THANK YOU, Fid, for your research and link!

 

Impossible to see clearly enough the two pics posted, but I can see there is a plaque on the frame...
What does it say?

 

it doesn't matter what it says IMO. much later anyways.
and may I add - it's not the first item of this member where I get the feeling of serving as test-dummy.
and "a Viennese art historian" may sound posh, but isn't really one of a kind when I think of my visits at the Dorotheum.

 

It says, in German, the same as the headline of this post.

 

Now I'm curious: Test-dummy ? What do you mean ? You haven't been able to come up with a better theory than mine, so until you do, my theory stands as the best and only one.