Lot 11: Zacharias Sonntag (Ungarn 1683-1738 Darmstadt)

Zacharias Sonntag (Ungarn 1683-1738 Darmstadt)
Two Dutch men-o'war at anchor off Genoa, with other shipping inside the harbour and a panorama of the city beyond
signed, inscribed and dated 'Z. Sonntag. Inv: et pin: 1734.' (lower left)
oil on canvas, in a carved and gilded frame
36 5/8 x 52 5/8 in. (93 x 133.6 cm.)

This fascinating topographical scene, which includes within it the ships of several notable maritime states, typifies the commercial importance of Genoa when, before the unification of Italy in the mid-nineteenth century, it was one of the greatest 'free ports' of the Mediterranean, having been so since around 1000A.D. Being a 'free port', it was the principal entrepôt in the region for Switzerland, Piedmont and Lombardy, and enjoyed centuries of peerless prosperity. Even claiming an earlier origin than Rome, Genoa rose to become a formidable maritime power and long vied with Venice for the title of 'Mistress of the Seas'.

In this engaging composition, where two large Dutch men-o'war lie at anchor off the famous lighthouse, the artist has also shown a three-masted galleon from Livorno (Leghorn) at the harbour mouth, along with a plethora of smaller vessels from numerous states which crowd the inner harbour alongside the city's wharves and jetties. Each of these small coastal traders is portrayed wearing its own ensign of identity and this reflects a certain credit on the artist, most of whose peers would rarely go to such trouble in this context. As for the city itself, it rises behind the harbour and is filled with the tall houses and narrow, winding streets so characteristic of many Italian ports. With its historic churches and fortifications, it is said that it reminded many British visitors of Edinburgh and there is undoubtedly a picturesque similarity. In addition to the humble dwellings of the ordinary townspeople, the city also sported many fine mansions as well as numerous marble palazzos, so many in fact that the gracious city of Genoa was widely referred to as 'La Superba'; in this panorama by Zacharias Sonntag, it is easy to see why.

Zacharias Sonntag was Court Painter to Count Ernst Ludwig von Hessen-Darmstadt (1678-1739). He was also stage set designer to the Darmstadt Opera House. His son and pupil, Johann Tobias Sonntag (1716-1774), who primarily painted hunting scenes and landscapes, was Court Painter to Count Ludwig VIII von Hessen-Darmstadt (1691-1768).