Portrait of Carl Ludwig Friedrich von Eickstedt-Peterswaldt

Carl Begas, next to Wilhelm von Schadow, is considered one of the most popular Berlin portrait painters from the 1st half of the 19th century. His works ˗ from neo-Renaissance, through Romantic, up to neo-Classicist ˗ are conventional images of women and men set against neutral, dark backgrounds or landscape. They a perfect representation of the German Biedermeier style. The unpretentious, realistic presentations of models introducing a subtle play between their ambitions and modesty, were willing purchased by the members of the affluent middle glass, officials elevated to nobility, as well as the higher circles of the Prussian court. The series of portraits of well-known people from the world of art and science, awarded with the Pour le mérite medal, is well known. The portrait of Carl Ludwig Friedrich von Eickstedt-Peterswald executed in 1839 presents a middle aged man shown in half figure, wearing a black frock coat, a black vest and a white shirt with a high collar. The son of Johann Georg Ephraim von Eickstedt, included in the tax register of the Pomeranian nobility, was the hereditary chamberlain of the king of Prussia, the owner of landed estates Rothen Klempenow, Hohenholz, Eickstedt, Damm, Wollin and Ziemkendorf. Initially, he worked as a senior civil servant in the National Court in Szczecin and from 1820 until his death in 1869 he served as director of the Pomeranian Land Chamber. On his chest, a white enamelled cross with a red eagle against golden background attached with a double red ribbon is visible. It was probably the granting of the Order of the Red Eagle (Class 2) by King Frederick William III of Prussia that was the reason for ordering the portrait by Friedrich von Eickstedt-Peterswald. Soon afterwards, Frederick William IV, during his crowning ceremony, confirmed the title of count awarded in the 16th century for the Szczecin branch of the Eickstedt-Peterswald family. Begas’ painting is characterised by restrained attitude to the model and thrifty use of accessories; it attracts attention by artistic quality and precision of execution.

Dariusz Kacprzak