Peter von Hess (1792-1871) German School THE RACING OF THE HORSES, circa 1810 THE RACING OF THE HORSES was painted to commemorate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (who was to become King Ludwig I) of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxony on October 12, 1810. Emperor Maximilian, wanting something special for his son, chose to celebrate the occasion with a great horse race which was held on October 17th. A large area on the outskirts of Munich was cleared for the event, and was renamed Theresien Meadow in honor of the young bride. The royal couple was seated in a tent which can be seen in the midst of the picture. From this event emerged “Oktoberfest”, a traditional Munich celebration, which has been held at the same time and in the same place for over 200 years. Peter von Hess was one of the founding fathers of genre painting in Munich. His skillful portrayal of horses and figures in action on a grand scale are evident in this early work. He studied with Wilhelm von Kobell (1766-1855), who also painted a version of this horse race in 1911. Peter von Hess, along with Kobell and Albrecht Adam (1786-1862), became one of the most important painters of historic European battle scenes during the first half of the 19th Century.
Peter von Hess (1792-1871) German School THE RACING OF THE HORSES, circa 1810 Paper: 9 x 12½ inches / 23 x 32 centimeters Board: 11½ x 14¾ inches / 29 x 37.5 centimeters Pencil, watercolor and gouache on paper mounted on pressed paper board Signed lower right with brown watercolor: “Hess” Note: Along all four edges of the watercolor, 1/32nd inch from the edge, is a line drawn with a straight edge with lead pencil. Provenance: Private Dealer, Reseda, California, until January, 2004 Jerome Adamson, Adamson-Duvannes Galleries Affixed to the verso is a tag that is the same date as the watercolor. The inscription on the tag has been written in ink, and likely to have been done with a feather pen. It reads as follows: “Das Pferde Rennen Bey der Vermahlungs Feyer Seiner Koniglichen Hoheit des Kronprinzen von Bayern Veranstaltet am 17th Oct 1810 auf der Theresens-Wiese, Bey Munchen von der Cavallerie der National-Garde 3 Klasse. Ihren Koniglichen Majestaten von Bayern Maximilian Joseph und Karoline In tiefster Ehrfurcht gewidmet Von den Theilnrhmern an den October-Festen” We believe the translation to be: The Horse Race With the attendance of their royal highnesses of the Crown Prince of Bavaria October 17th, 1810 at Theresens-Wiese, Munich, Sponsored by the 3rd Division of the Bavarian National Cavalry, their Royal majesties from Bavaria Maximilian Joseph and Karoline In deepest respect dedicated to the participants of this Oktoberfest Sold - Private Collection, Los Angeles, California

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