Miniatura důstojníka 8. pěšího pluku rakouské armády. Nová akvizice Národního muzea od Patrizia Kettnera z roku 1836

Pages	5–20
DOI	10.37520/amnph.2023.002
Keywords	Patrizius Kittner, portrait miniature, 8th Infantry Regiment of the Austrian Army, Moritz Michael Daffinger, Dino-Lite microscope
Citation	MIKEŠOVÁ, Pavla. Miniatura důstojníka 8. pěšího pluku rakouské armády. Nová akvizice Národního muzea od Patrizia Kettnera z roku 1836. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia. Prague: National Museum, 2023, 77(1-2), 5–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/amnph.2023.002. ISSN 2570-6845 (print), 2570-6853 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/acta-musei-nationalis-pragae-historia/77-1-2/miniatura-dustojnika-8-pesiho-pluku-rakouske-armady-nova-akvizice-narodniho-muzea-od-patrizia-kettnera-z-roku-1836

Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia | 2023/77/1-2

The article explores a signed and dated portrait miniature of an officer by the painter Patrizio Kittner (1809–1900) from Brno, which was previously unknown. The aim of the text is to present Kittner’s portrait miniature through formal, stylistic and contextual analysis. The introduction focuses on the forgotten miniature painter’s personality, his artistic background, and his work for commissioners among the Moravian aristocracy and leading industrialists. It then proceeds with a formal description of the portrait miniature, its condition having been carefully assessed after the National Museum’s restorer removed the painting from its frame and disassembled the entire miniature into its individual components. This is followed by an analysis of Kittner’s painting style, which was examined using two portable microscopes: Dino-Lite type AM4115ZT for normal light images and Dino-Lite type AD4113T-12V for infrared images. Signed portrait miniatures from the Moravian Gallery in Brno served as adequate comparative ma­terial. The text then discusses the context of the work’s creation and identifies Kittner’s commissioners from the ranks of the Austrian army, evaluating the soldier’s rank and classification. The analyses indicate that Kittner’s miniature has been preserved in good technical condition. It is not substantially damaged, but it has undergone previous restoration, as indicated by the retouching on the right part of the man’s chest and in the upper right corner. This is an example of Kittner’s high-quality work, where the painter followed the Viennese portrait style of Moritz Michael Daffinger, known as the Daffinger School. In Kittner’s case, the clear influence of Viennese miniature production is demonstrated primarily through the painting style charac­terised by intersecting brushstrokes and the use of organic dye to depict skin tone. The article concludes by cautiously identifying the depicted figure as Anton Hahn, a lieutenant of the 8th Infantry Regiment of the Austrian Army.

Full Text of the Article