Joseph Grassi (1757 Vienna-1838 Dresden), Portrait of Ludwig Ferdinand Hohenzollern, Duke of Prussia, 1806.

oil, duplicated canvas; dimensions 93 x 65 cm
Signed and dated on the right (faintly visible): J. Grassi Pin. Ad. 1806/a Dresden

Ludwig Ferdinand Hohenzollern (1772-1806), prince, nephew of King Frederick II the Great of Prussia. Like all members of the family, he devoted himself to a military career. From 1792 he took part in the wars against the French Republic and Emperor Napoleon I. In 1799 he was promoted to the rank of general. He was killed in battle against Marshal Lannes' cavalry during a skirmish at Saale. He was a gifted composer and published 13 musical works, highly praised by Beethoven.

Joseph Grassi (1757 Vienna-1838 Dresden)
Recognized Austrian painter, author of representative portraits of the aristocracy, including Polish. The artist stayed in Poland from 1791 to 1794, and then, from 1795 to 1799, in Vienna, from where he left for Dresden to become a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts there. His painting, which stands at a high European level, shows features of academism, a result of the influence of the Viennese environment, as well as English painting, which was fashionable at the time. Of particular importance for Polish art are his portraits of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Prince Jozef Poniatowski.