Oil on panel, indistinct signature and inscription at lower left, presented in a later ebonized and gilt wood frame with brass gallery plaque.

Panel 13 1/2 x 11 1/8 in.; Frame dimensions 17 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.

Carl Spitzweg was born in Unterpfaffenhofen, the middle son of a wealthy merchant. He studied pharmacy at the University of Munich, but fell ill shortly after graduating. During his convalescence, Spitzweg taught himself to paint by copying the works of Flemish masters. After receiving a sizable inheritance in 1833, he was able to devote himself fully to painting and the study of art.

Spitzweg is among the most well known and highly regarded German artists of the Biedermeier period. His satirical paintings of the middle class at home, at play and in fantastical scenes with a theatrical edge, are as amusing today as they were to his 19th century audience.

Repaired split to panel with two braces to verso; surface grime; obscuring varnish and some minor scattered retouch visible under UV light; areas of drying cracks.

$3,000 - 6,000