August Querfurt (1696, Wolfenbüttel – 1761, Vienna), attr., Compositions with Horsemen

August Querfurt (1696, Wolfenbüttel – 1761, Vienna), attr.

Compositions with knights

Oil on paper mounted on cardboard, 9,5 x 6,5 cm – with frame, 11 x 8 cm

The group of six oil paintings on paper mounted on cardboard constitutes a compact group of equestrian sketches attributable to August Querfurt. The small size, rapid execution, and fragmentary nature of the scenes—isolated horsemen captured in dynamic poses, set against a cloudy sky or a barely sketched landscape—suggest that these are not finished, independent works, but preparatory studies: a sort of repertoire of figures and horses that the artist kept ready in his workshop to be reused, varied in pose or attire, within larger compositions dedicated to large-scale cavalry battles. At least two of the small scenes feature Ottoman horsemen, recognizable by their plumed turbans, curved sabers, and oriental-style robes, a recurring motif in his work dedicated to battles against the Turks. One of the compositions, however, appears to derive from a hunting painting or genre scene, as the horse in the foreground is walking at a walk while a female figure, also on horseback, can be glimpsed in the background.

Comparison with the artist's known catalogue allows us to identify precise correspondences. In the Battle Scene in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the knight seen from behind on the left side of the canvas, with his horse in three-quarter view, finds a precise parallel in one of our sketches. Even more eloquent is the large canvas of The Turks Besieging Vienna, now in a private collection, where the multitude of knights arranged on multiple levels clearly demonstrates the artist's working method, capable of drawing on a vast repertoire of figures and horses to populate the most crowded battle scenes. Similar typological coincidences can be found in the Battle against the Turks now in Warsaw, in the Palace on the Water, in the Horse Market with River Landscape in the Landesmuseum in Oldenburg, and in the Two Scenes of Horsemen attributed to Querfurt himself and preserved in the Museo Correr in Venice: in all these paintings the same postures of the horses, the same cuts of light on the harness and the identical excited attitudes of the riders recur, confirming a practice based on the combination of already tested figurative modules.

August Querfurt was born in Augsburg and trained first with his father, Tobias, before perfecting his skills under Georg Philipp Rugendas, in whose workshop he developed a taste for battle scenes. He specialized in equestrian subjects, favoring isolated cavalry clashes, military encampments, and hunting scenes. His artistic style was primarily influenced by the example of Jacques Courtois, from whom he derived the veristic animation and dynamic compositions, but his training was actually eclectic: his works echoes Wouwerman, van der Meulen, the Parrocels, and Rugendas himself. He likely also spent some time in Italy, becoming acquainted with Venetian specialists in the battle genre, with whom he was sometimes confused by critics. His typological and pictorial peculiarities have nevertheless allowed the reconstruction of a now substantial catalogue, enriched by the resurfacing of signed works on the antiquarian market.

The object is in good condition

For Italy only: with Ars Antiqua it is possible to pay in installments up to a maximum of €7.500 at ZERO INTEREST, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS

E.g. Total €4.500 = Monthly installment €300 for 15 months.

E.g. Total €3.600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months.

For amounts exceeding €7.500 or for a longer period of time (over 15 installments), we can provide a personalized payment.

Contact us directly to get the best quote.

LIVE

– SUNDAY 17.00pm – 21.00pm Dig.terr. 126 – Sky 824

– Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social networks Facebook and Youtube

All the works proposed by Ars Antiqua are sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law and an accurate information sheet.

It is possible to see the works directly at the showroom gallery in Milan, in via Pisacane 55 and 57.

We personally organize transport and deliveries of the works, both for Italy and abroad.