Anthoni Schoojans, attributed to - Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (1688 - 1740)
Anthoni Schoojans, attributed to
Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (1688 - 1740)
Oil on canvas (relined). 79 x 60 (oval).
Framed with gilded wooden frame (103 x 87 cm).
Frederick William was born on 14 August 1688 in Berlin-Dölln Palace to Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, and Sophie Charlotte, Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg of Hanover, and was baptised after eight days in the cathedral church there in his grandfather's name. Frederick William was the longed-for heir to the throne after his elder brother, Prince Elector Frederick Augustus, died in 1686. In contrast to his father, the child had a strong constitution. Shortly after his birth, there were already tensions between the Elector and his wife regarding the principles of his education. In the early years of his life, from 1689 to 1692, Frederick William was brought up at his grandmother's court in Hanover. Even as a child, he was conspicuous for his headstrong, impulsive nature and also displayed very rebellious behaviour.
In 1704, the sixteen-year-old crown prince was declared of age. In the same year, he had his Wusterhausen Palace extended and moved into it every year from the end of August to the beginning of November as his court residence. Within ten years, he turned the neglected Wusterhausen estate into a self-sustaining model business. He regarded the small town of Wusterhausen as a miniature state. Here he tried out on a small scale what he later did on a large scale. His way of governing, administering and commanding was moulded here.
While the identity of the person depicted here cannot be doubted, that of the painter cannot be proven. Anthoni Schoojans, to whom the portrait is attributed according to tradition, stayed in Berlin between 1702 and 1704, where he painted various portraits for the court and contributed to the decoration of Charlottenburg Palace. At this time, the crown prince was between 14 and 16 years old, which corresponds to the prince portrayed here.
Provenance
Gallery Almas, Munich. Acquired there in 1982 and since then in private ownership in Hesse.
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Anthoni Schoojans, attributed to
Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (1688 - 1740)
Oil on canvas (relined). 79 x 60 (oval).
Framed with gilded wooden frame (103 x 87 cm).
Frederick William was born on 14 August 1688 in Berlin-Dölln Palace to Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, and Sophie Charlotte, Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg of Hanover, and was baptised after eight days in the cathedral church there in his grandfather's name. Frederick William was the longed-for heir to the throne after his elder brother, Prince Elector Frederick Augustus, died in 1686. In contrast to his father, the child had a strong constitution. Shortly after his birth, there were already tensions between the Elector and his wife regarding the principles of his education. In the early years of his life, from 1689 to 1692, Frederick William was brought up at his grandmother's court in Hanover. Even as a child, he was conspicuous for his headstrong, impulsive nature and also displayed very rebellious behaviour.
In 1704, the sixteen-year-old crown prince was declared of age. In the same year, he had his Wusterhausen Palace extended and moved into it every year from the end of August to the beginning of November as his court residence. Within ten years, he turned the neglected Wusterhausen estate into a self-sustaining model business. He regarded the small town of Wusterhausen as a miniature state. Here he tried out on a small scale what he later did on a large scale. His way of governing, administering and commanding was moulded here.
While the identity of the person depicted here cannot be doubted, that of the painter cannot be proven. Anthoni Schoojans, to whom the portrait is attributed according to tradition, stayed in Berlin between 1702 and 1704, where he painted various portraits for the court and contributed to the decoration of Charlottenburg Palace. At this time, the crown prince was between 14 and 16 years old, which corresponds to the prince portrayed here.
Provenance
Gallery Almas, Munich. Acquired there in 1982 and since then in private ownership in Hesse.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
