Emanuel Leutze 1867 Orientalist Oil Portrait
Item Details
Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (American/German, 1816 – 1868)
Untitled, 1867
Oil painting on canvas mounted on wood panel
Signed and dated “E. Leutze, 1867” to the lower left
1932 Herald Tribune newspaper article regarding the artist’s ouvre is affixed to panel verso
An oil painting on canvas mounted on wood panel by German-American History painter and Orientalist Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1816 – 1868). This portrait features a young man dressed in an Oriental attire, including a headdress and vibrant textiles, meticulously rendered with exquisite detail. The armed subject vigilantly contemplates the horizon of the arid terrain while he holds a rifle with two hands, protecting silhouetted figures distantly visible in the precipitous background. The painting is signed and dated ‘E. Leutze, 1867’ to the lower left. It is presented in a gilt gesso frame with foliate cartouches to the corners. To the verso is a 1932 newspaper article from the Herald Tribune, providing information regarding the disputed display of his iconic painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, which was housed by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and removed from public view for 2 years. Today, Leutze’s patriotic portrayal of Washington’s attack on the Hessians at Trenton is on view for the public at The MET.
Considered one of the most prominent American history painters of his time, Emanuel Leutze came from a family of German refugees who immigrated to the United States when the artist was just nine years old. He studied under John Rubens Smith and worked as an itinerant portrait painter and miniaturist, before returning to Germany to study at Düsseldorf Academy with Wilhelm Schadow and Karl Lessing. Influences such as Lessing’s emphasis on history painting and Leutze’s advocacy to the democratic American government, inspired him to create a series of paintings depicting American history, particularly focusing on Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. In addition to Washington Crossing the Delaware, other famous works of his include the mural of the U.S. Capitol building Westward Course Empire Takes Its Way, and Columbus Before the Queen. After the creation of Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851), Leutze stepped aside from his colossal historical depictions and was immersed into the 19th century Orientalist craze. This painting is a demonstration of the artist’s consolidation and strong adherence to Orientalism and also a representation of his impeccable technique. In addition to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Leutze’s work has been collected and exhibited by numerous prestigious institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum, among many others.
Condition
- minor abrasions to gilt finish, minor areas of gesso loss and craquelure to frame especially to cartouches to the corners; under UV light examination minuscule areas of inpainting are revealed to the margin, but mostly appears to be clean and in pristine condition; this canvas was previously trimmed to the edges and mounted onto wood panel.
Dimensions
- measures the frame; sight size 15.75" W x 21.25" H; wood panel size 16.75" W x 22" H.
Item #
ITMG178772
