Date
1837
Object Type
Painting
Subject
Portrait of Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. On long-term loan and on display at the Museo Ala Ponzone, Cremona, since 2015
About The Work
Among the numerous portraits of Ferdinand I commissioned shortly after his coronation as King of Italy in 1838, the work by Giuseppe Molteni stands out for its bold formality and celebratory power. In 1836, the artist was summoned to the imperial residence in Vienna to paint this portrait, which was destined for the Sala del Consiglio del Governo in Milan. Ferdinand I is depicted, as tradition dictated, standing beside his throne before a sumptuous curtain. This drapery opens to reveal the highest pinnacle of Milan Cathedral, establishing a direct visual link between the Emperor and the territory over which he exercised his sovereign rule.
The portrait attracted widespread acclaim when it was reproduced as an engraving in the album accompanying the 1837 Brera Exhibition. Critics and the public alike were captivated by Molteni’s astonishing virtuosity in rendering the shimmering silk of the ceremonial robes, the plumed hat, the two crowns, and the sceptre. In composing the work, Molteni was undoubtedly influenced by Friedrich Amerling’s 1832 model (now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna), which he had admired during his time in the imperial capital.
Such a bold display of opulent attire and fashionable accessories had been a hallmark of Molteni’s style since 1829. His 'environmental portraits' (ritratti ambientati) quickly established him as one of the most sought-after artists in Milan. This painting entered the collections of the Brera Academy on an unknown date. It was likely relegated to storage following the end of Habsburg rule in Milan in 1859 and subsequently recorded as anonymous in the inventories. Its correct attribution was finally restored by Fernando Mazzocca in 1994, during the first systematic cataloguing of the Academy and Pinacoteca’s painting collection.
The portrait attracted widespread acclaim when it was reproduced as an engraving in the album accompanying the 1837 Brera Exhibition. Critics and the public alike were captivated by Molteni’s astonishing virtuosity in rendering the shimmering silk of the ceremonial robes, the plumed hat, the two crowns, and the sceptre. In composing the work, Molteni was undoubtedly influenced by Friedrich Amerling’s 1832 model (now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna), which he had admired during his time in the imperial capital.
Such a bold display of opulent attire and fashionable accessories had been a hallmark of Molteni’s style since 1829. His 'environmental portraits' (ritratti ambientati) quickly established him as one of the most sought-after artists in Milan. This painting entered the collections of the Brera Academy on an unknown date. It was likely relegated to storage following the end of Habsburg rule in Milan in 1859 and subsequently recorded as anonymous in the inventories. Its correct attribution was finally restored by Fernando Mazzocca in 1994, during the first systematic cataloguing of the Academy and Pinacoteca’s painting collection.
Title
Ritratto di Ferdinando I d'Austria
Creator
Giuseppe Molteni
Subject
Portrait of Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria
Object Type
Painting
Original Function
Collection
Date
1837
Crest
On the stretcher, right center, paper label: "ACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI E LICEO ARTISTICO/ MILANO/ N. 229 Ignoto/ "Ritratto dell'Imperatore Ferdinando I"/ cm. 185x251 L. 50.000"; paper label: "11 DOMENICA/ S. Iginio Papa 355".
Technique / Support
Oil on canvas
Visual analysis of the technique
Molteni portrays the emperor with a solemn ceremonial presence through a vivid and highly variegated palette and a dense, covering paint surface. The gemstones and the crowns to the left are described by raised clumps and depressions of pigment that convey protrusion, thickness, and preciousness, while numerous impastoed whites generate the painting’s luminous highlights. This material richness, precision of detail, and chromatic brilliance define an image of tangible splendor.
Dimensions
cm 227 x 184.5
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. On long-term loan and on display at the Museo Ala Ponzone, Cremona, since 2015
Inventory number
Inv. 1980, 229
Bibliography
Mazzocca, Fernando. Entry no. 536. In Pinacoteca di Brera. Dipinti dell’Ottocento e del Novecento. Collezioni dell’Accademia e della Pinacoteca, vol. 2, Musei e Gallerie di Milano, edited by Fernando Mazzocca. Milano: Mondadori Electa, 1994. 492–493, ill.
Mazzocca, Fernando. Entry no. 46. In Giuseppe Molteni (1800–1867) e il ritratto nella Milano romantica. Pittura, collezionismo, restauro, tutela, exhibition catalogue (Milano, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Museo di Storia Contemporanea, 28 October 2000–28 January 2001), edited by Fernando Mazzocca, Lavinia Galli Michero, and Paola Segramora Rivolta. Milano: Skira, 2000. 212, 160, ill. (with previous bibliography).
Falconi, Bernardo. Entry no. 1.2. In Die Kröenungreise: il viaggio dell’incoronazione di Ferdinando I nel Lombardo-Veneto e le vedute di Eduard Gurk, exhibition catalogue (Cremona, Museo Civico Ala Ponzone, 20th June - 1st November 2015). Bergamo: Bolis edizioni, 2015. 41-43, ill.
Mazzocca, Fernando. Entry no. 46. In Giuseppe Molteni (1800–1867) e il ritratto nella Milano romantica. Pittura, collezionismo, restauro, tutela, exhibition catalogue (Milano, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Museo di Storia Contemporanea, 28 October 2000–28 January 2001), edited by Fernando Mazzocca, Lavinia Galli Michero, and Paola Segramora Rivolta. Milano: Skira, 2000. 212, 160, ill. (with previous bibliography).
Falconi, Bernardo. Entry no. 1.2. In Die Kröenungreise: il viaggio dell’incoronazione di Ferdinando I nel Lombardo-Veneto e le vedute di Eduard Gurk, exhibition catalogue (Cremona, Museo Civico Ala Ponzone, 20th June - 1st November 2015). Bergamo: Bolis edizioni, 2015. 41-43, ill.
Conservation status
Fair
Restoration history
Conservation work carried out in 2000 by Barbara Ferriani, Studio di restauro
Supervisory Authority: Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Milan
Internal scientific director: Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Chiara Nenci
Technical director / Qualified restorer: Barbara Feriani
Supervisory Authority: Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Milan
Internal scientific director: Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Chiara Nenci
Technical director / Qualified restorer: Barbara Feriani
Frame, base, secondary support
Modern frame. A rectangular frame painted in black, measuring 255 × 187 cm, defined by a thin inner gilded border.
Unique identifier
0302201004