German school (XVIII) - Bischof

Representative portrait painting from the 18th century, produced in the southern German/Bavarian region. Age-related craquelure, the handwoven canvas, as well as the details of the stretcher, point to a creation in the 18th century.

Depicted is a high-ranking ecclesiastical dignitary, presumably a prince-bishop or ecclesiastical prince. He wears a black clerical robe with a high blue collar, over which a richly decorated cross is worn. Over his arm lies an ermine robe as a sign of secular authority. In the background is a princely crown as another insignia of his position.
The portrayal combines spiritual dignity with princely representation, a typical feature of South German church princes of the 18th century.

On the back of the canvas lies the handwritten designation:
"Ludwig Seitz pinx it" with a year.
Ludwig Seitz (1844–1908) was a prominent German history and church painter. It is plausible that the work was restored or revised by him in the 19th century. The back inscription more likely points to a later modification or restoration than to an original authorship.