Johann Georg de Hamilton (Brussels 1672 - 1737 Vienna) and A - Lot 26

Johann Georg de Hamilton (Brussels 1672 - 1737 Vienna) and Atelier Portrait of Léal, a purebred Spanish horse from the imperial stables, in levade Oil on canvas 47,5 x 63,5 Signed lower right and annotated in black oil: Leal / Original Spanier / unter Ihro / Excellenz (?) Obristen / Stallmeister Herrn / graffen von Althan". Provenance: Aristocratic family from the former kingdom of Hungary A very interesting second autograph version of this portrait by Leal, whose prototype, dated 1721, is larger and preserved in Vienna (47 x 82.5 cm., Lippizans Museum, inv. unknown). This portrait is part of a cycle begun by Johann Georg de Hamilton in the 1720s, who was commissioned to paint all the horses kept in the Emperor's stables by the Director of the Imperial Buildings, Count Ludwig Gundakkar von Althann (1665-1747) (see : Margócsy D. "Horses, Curiosities, and the Culture of Collection at Early Modern Germanic Courts". Renaissance Quarterly. 2021;74(4):1210-1259. doi:10.1017/rqx.2021.200). Leal is described in a contemporary document as "adored by Prince Antonj of Lichtenstein, he has a straight, fine head with slightly blotched cheeks, beautiful eyes, small, narrow ears, a short, strong but fine neck, a good chest and back, and well trained throughout, since 1717". (see: Zeitschrift Für Tierzüchtung und Züchtungsbiologie, 1937, p.43 ).