H. Kronich (XIX) - Ritratto di giovane

Male Portrait - Central Europe – Oil on a metal plate – Signed H. Kronich, 1830

Identification data and territorial scope

• Author: H. Kronich (signed and dated at lower right "H. Kronich 1830")
• Era / Style: 1830, full Biedermeier period
• Cultural area: Central Europe / Germanic area (Germany, Austria, Bohemia)
• Technique and support: Oil on a metal plate (stannated iron/tinplate or copper)
• Subject: Three-quarter length male portrait, depicting a man in a dark suit with a high white collar, seated beside a small side table.

The work is fully attributable to the artistic production of the Germanic and Central European area during the Biedermeier period. The use of a small-format metal plate as a support was a well-established practice in these territories, sought after for smooth surfaces free of canvas grain, ideal for micro-detailing of portraits intended for the private and domestic sphere of the 19th-century bourgeoisie.

Dimensions

• Painted plate (working measurement): 20 x 17 cm
• Overall frame: 25 x 22 cm

Condition and defects

The object is presented in its found state and shows structural and aesthetic alterations due to material aging:
• Paint layer: A loss with complete flaking of the color in the upper central section is noted, revealing the underlying metal support. The surface shows vertical scratches and a diffuse network of cracks (craquelure).
• Support and back: The back of the plate is protected by the original 19th-century backing cardboard, fixed to the edge with era-appropriate iron nails. The cardboard shows humidity marks and oxidation (foxing), peripheral wear, and traces of an old circular stamp, partially legible.
Frame
The painting is set in an antique black-lacquered frame with a foliate-carved, gilded inner profile. The structure shows abrasions, loss of preparatory layer, and loss of gilding along the edges and at the corners.
• Clause on the frame: The frame is provided free of charge as a protective element for the work. It is not an integral part of the auction lot and is not covered by any warranty. No objections or claims for compensation regarding the frame’s condition or any damage suffered by the frame during transport will be accepted.