Hermann Goldschmidt, Portrait Of A Lady With A Cameo

Hermann Goldschmidt, Portrait Of A Lady With A Cameo

A fine mid-19th-century portrait of a lady wearing a black dress, lace bonnet decorated with flowers, and a large cameo. Her hair is styled into a centre parting and swept into side coils as per the style of the day.

The artist, Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt (1802-1866) led a fascinating life and aside from his ability as a painter he was also a highly regarded astronomer.

His interest in art began following a trip to the Netherlands where he visited several Dutch picture galleries. This ultimately led to him pursuing a career as a painter and studying in Munich under Peter von Cornelius and Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld. He’s then known to have completed his studies in Paris where he settled and became an honorary Frenchman.

He painted throughout his life but his works are quite hard to track down. His landscapes are rooted in romanticism and observe the infinite power of nature over man. While his portraits skilfully capture the character of a sitter. One such portrait from 1851 reached over £6,000 at auction, which is recognition of his abilities.

But if you look back through the history books, the name Hermann Goldschmidt is mostly associated with astronomy. His achievements were considerable and include the discovery of 14 asteroids, which is some achievement given the technology of the time.

Goldschmidt spent the last few years of his life in the region of Fontainebleau, Paris, where he died in 1866.

The portrait is signed/dated in the lower left and housed in a period frame with coved sides and a decorative inner border.

Medium
Oil on canvas
Overall size
23½” x 28” / 60cm x 72cm
Year of creation
1842
Provenance
France
Condition
One small scratch and some areas of professional restoration. Canvas relined. Frame with age-related wear.
Artist’s auction highlight
£6,436 achieved for ‘Portrait of a gentleman’ in 1998.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

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