Lot 19: Portrait of a Lady

Balthasar Denner Hamburg 1685 - Rostock 1749 , Portrait of a Lady, Oil/copper, 42 x 32 cm., German portrait a. miniature painter. Little is known about D.s training. He had drawing lessons in Hamburg, since 1707 he worked as painter at the Berlin academy. Being extraordinarily talented he soon received commisions, first from the court of Holstein, since 1717 also from the Royal Danish court. In Hannover he met members of the English court a. followed their invitation to London in 1721. He returned to Hamburg in 1728 but soon began travelling around again to the courts where he received commissions. After a longer sojourn in Amsterdam he painted the future tsar Peter III. in Hamburg in 1740. Working in the tradition of Leiden painting school D. was one of the best a. most sought-after portrait painter of the rococo.