Extremely large and qualitative genre painting around 1850 depicting the wedding scene before a country tavern in the Krakow province (due to the style of folk costumes), The painting was executed by important German military and genre artist Karl August Aerttinger (1809 - Munich - 1876) . This is one of the main works by this artist and was described as "Polnische Hochzeit " ( in English: Polish Wedding) in the list of his works in the important German monography "Paintings of 19th century" by Fr.von Boetticher, p. 42, No. 4.

The author Karl August Aerttinger studied at first at the art school in Augsburg (under Klemens Zimmermann), at the Munich Academy from 1823 to 1828 , in Paris (1830-1831). He begun his carrier as portrait painter , later created military , genre scenes and parade works. In 1846 settled for long time in Vienna, where he portrayed Austrian imperial family (1848) and the archduke Karl together with all Austrian Generals in the year 1809 in large pictures . In 1848 he came with a recommendation letter of Field Marshal von Welden to Hungary and joined in Komarno, the Russian army . With the Russian army, he went to the campaign to Poland, where he remained five years at Prince Paskiewitsch as the painter and executed large orders for him. We are sure  that  our painting executed  ​​by the author  on behalf of the Prince Paskiewitsch during his stay in Polen.

Thus, several pictures were taken from the Persian-Russian campaign of Prince ("Taking Yerevan"); "Comming of the prince in Tabriz"), then "The reception of the Hungarian magnates deputation which presented to the prince the Diploma of Honorary Citizen of Pest " and " Review of the Russian army in Powonsk by Warsaw ".  In 1854 the artist returned to Germany, and since this time especially he painted genre scenes and landscapes. The Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe has a genre scene of him.

Literature: Artist´s Lexicons by Thieme/Becker (Leipzig, 1999); Fr.von Boetticher "Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts", Leipzig, 1892; Meyer "Kuenstlerlexikon".

Inscription: signed lower right.

Technique: oil on canvas. Luxuriousy original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed w 57 1/2" x h 42 1/8" (146 x 107 cm), framed w 72 " x h 56 1/4" (183 x 143 cm)

Condition:  in very good condition, old professionally relining of canvas.