Eugen Hess (1824 – 1862)

A Knight as Guest among Dominican Monks

Oil on canvas.

Signed, located, and dated "Eugen Hess Brüßel / 1850" in the lower left corner.

97 x 87 cm.

The present painting, once owned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and part of the Neue Pinakothek, is in excellent condition. Several monks have gathered in a monastery chamber and are clearly trying to obtain the signature of the nobleman sitting with them. His decision may not insignificantly be influenced by the good wine of the monks. The painting was lithographed by J. Wölffle and was exhibited at the Nuremberg Regional Exhibition in 1882.

Provenance:

Collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria (1786-1868), according to the inventory label seen on the back of the stretcher with inventory number 517.

Neue Pinakothek, Munich. The catalog of 1881 mentions on page 31 under object number 100 the mentioned painting with the full title: "A Knight as Guest among Dominican Monks." A certificate is ready for signature. We have a copy of a file card with the following note dated September 8, 1928: "The oil painting by Eugen Hesse "A Knight as Guest among Dominicans" comes from the possessions of the Wittelsbach Adjustment Fund and was part of the inventory of the Neue Pinakothek in Munich."

Sold by the House of Wittelsbach (The original confirmation letter from the Wittelsbach Adjustment Fund is in our possession).

Collection of A. Gruis, Berlin (died 1947).

Since then, passed down by inheritance in private ownership.

Literature on the artist:

Friedrich von Boetticher, Malerwerke des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts, Dresden 1891, p. 515. Among the oil paintings by Hess, the painting offered here is listed under number 6.

Hyacinth Holland, Allgemeine Deutsche Biografphie 12, 1880, p. 277.

Thieme / Becker, Vol. XVI, p. 577.