Lot 200: CARL GOTTLOB SCHMEIDLER (1772-1838)

Count Curt Goetzen, facing right in blue coat with gold-bordered green collar, gold epaulette and loops, wearing the badges of the Royal Prussian Order of the Iron Cross and of the Imperial Russian Order of St Ann, brown hair and moustache; and his wife, Countess Mathilde Goetzen (1799-1858), facing left in red dress with rouched sleeve, gold belt, holding her blue cloak pinned with gold brooch at her left shoulder in her right hand, her dark hair upswept and falling in ringlets the gentleman signed 'Schmeidler' (lower right); and the lady signed 'Schmeidler.' (lower left) both rectangular; the gentleman 31/2 x 2 5/8 in. (89 x 67 mm.); and the lady 3 7/16 x 2 13/16 in. (87 x 72 mm.), gilt-metal frames (2) NOTES Count Curt Goetzen, son of Count Frederick William Goetzen and his wife Frederica Charlotte of Reichenbach, was a Royal Prussian chamberlain. He was the hereditary landowner of Ellguth-Schmark/Trebnitz. He was the first of the two husbands of Countess Mathilde of Reichenbach-Goschtz both of whom she divorced. Mathilde was the third daughter of Count Heinrich Gottlob of Reichenbach-Goschtz and his wife Johanna Countess of Solms-Baruth. She married firstly Count Curt Goetzen auf Ellguth whom she divorced and, secondly, in 1831, Prince Hermann Anton of Hatzfeldt whom she divorced in 1846. Her children from the second marriage include Prince Stanislas of Hatzfeldt, Countess Franziska of Nimptsch zu Jaeschkowitz, later Baroness of Lo‰, and Princess Elisabeth of Carolath-Beuthen. More information on Schmeidler, doubtlessly the best Silesian miniaturist of all time, can be found in E. Hintze, Schlesische Miniaturmaler des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts, Breslau, 1904, pp. 136-140. SALESROOM NOTICE Please note that the present lot also includes the portrait of Count Curt Goetzen (formerly lot 199 in the printed catalogue). The estimate for the pair of miniatures of Count and Countess Goetzen should read œ4,000-6,000.