Johann Peter Krafft was born as  the  son of the email painter Johann Ignaz Krafft and his wife Anna Katharina Magdalena Donné originating from the Elsass. His  brother Joseph Krafft was  painter too, who was particularly concerned with portrait  and miniature painting. J.P.Krafft visited already with 10 years (1790) the drawing  school in his hometown Hanau. Together with his sister he was sent 1799 to his aunt to Vienna, where he entered  immediately  the Academy of the Arts  in the subject historical painting under  Friedrich Heinrich Fueger. 1802 he traveled with Ludwig Schnorr from Carolsfeld to Paris to further-study over here. Here he  contacted with the famous classizist historical-scenes painters Jacques Louis David and Francois Gerard, to which he owed artistically much. 1805 he returned to Vienna and dedicated himselves on the advice of David now also the portrait painting. In 1808-1809 Krafft made  study trips to Rome, he became 1813 member of the academy in Vienna and 1815 the Hanauer drawing  academy. 1815 he married July Iana Preisinger, with which he remained married up to her death 1847. In  1823 he was appointed the Korrektor and extraordinary professor for history painting at the Viennese academy. As such he already exerted himself for the nature observation instead of academic collecting mains in instruction. 1828 finally became Krafft director of the Imperial Picture gallery and Castle  Belvedere in Vienna. Here he lived also with his family up to his death. Krafft was one the joint founder of the Viennese art association. In 1835 he undertook a journey to Munich and Dresden, 1837 after Venice, where he acquired 80 paintings for the Viennese gallery, and 1838 to Berlin, Prague and on castle Karlstein.  1839 it became honour member of the Kopenhagener academy.  He died in 1856 . 1885 were designated in Vienna the Krafftgasse after his name.Works of Krafft situated by the most prominent private collection and  museums iof the world (St:Petersburg, , Vienna, Budapest , Berlin)

Literature: Marianne Frodl-Schneemann: Johann Peter Krafft 1780-1856. Monographie und Verzeichnis der Gemälde. Vienna, Herold Edition, 1984

Inscription: unsigned  

Technique: oil on canvas. Gold-plated original period  frame.

Measurements: unframed w 21" x h 28" ( 53 x 71 cm), framed w 28" x h 35" (71 x 89 cm)

Condition: in  good condition, original canvas, not relined.