porcelain, oval body with gilt and white rim, burnished gilt ground with matt gilt border, leaf motifs, rosettes with leafy twigs in medallions, well with octagonal reserve, on which polychrome painted image, ‘Les filles de Cecrops. D’apres le Dessein de Mons. Caucig, Professor de l’Academie J. R. des arts à Vienne’, inscribed verso, signed lower right Daffinger, framed by matt and burnished gilt-painted floral and palmette frieze, wide gilt rim to underside, 32.5 x 41.5 cm, some restoration to gilt, Vienna, Imperial Manufactory, poorly legible underglaze blue shield mark, year mark 1808 (Ru)

Moritz Michael Daffinger, Vienna 25.1.1790–22.8.1849, one of the most important Austrian miniature painters after Heinrich Füger, son of the porcelain painter, Johann Daffinger, from 1801 student in the figure painting department at the Porcelain Manufactory, from 17.11.1801 at the Academy of the Fine Arts, Vienna. Figure drawing under Professor Maurer, 1804 apprenticeship award at the Manufactory, 1804–1805 figure painting class, 2nd, then 1st Gundel prize, painted porcelain images after ancient mythology, after Coreggio, numerous portraits of members of the Austrian Imperial house and court personalities, left the Manufactory on 27.2.1812; continued to paint ivory and miniature portraits, characters from Schiller and Shakespeare plays, copies of miniatures by Füger and numerous self-portraits. Friendship with Grillparzer, Bauernsfeld and Raimund, married Marie von Sollenitz, with whom he had a daughter, Mathilde. He enjoyed the especial patronage of State Chancellor, Prince Metternich and his wife.
Friedrich Heinrich Füger, painter, Heilbronn 8.12.1751–5.1818 Vienna, 28.2.1768 earliest known miniature portrait of Princess W. Auersperg-Kinsky, from 1798 studied jurisprudence in Halle, commencing the study of painting in Leipzig under Oeser, in 1774 returned to Vienna, and painted Duke Albert of Saxony-Teschen, his wife, and members of the Imperial house and the nobility, in 1788 he left Vienna, from 1806 director of the Imperial Gemäldegalerie. His excellent miniatures are to be found in aristocratic and public collections.
Franz Caucig, painter, Görz 3.12.1762–1.8.1828 Vienna, studied in Vienna, Bologna and Rome, and then Mantua and Venice, painting historical and ancient mythological scenes, portraits in classicising style and studies of major High Renaissance frescoes, from 1796–1828 co-rector, from 1799 professor of history painting, from 1820 director of the painting and sculpture school at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, as well as supervision of the fine art department at the Porcelain Manufactory. 2000 drawings by Prof Kauzick are owned by the Viennese Academy.
Cecrops, first king and founder of the Attican culture, half man, half snake, unified the original inhabitants of the land, built the castle Cecropia, established the principles of the culture - marriage, property rights and worship. The quality of the painterly execution and the composition of this piece invite comparison with the work of Angelika Kauffmann, Chur 1741–1807 Rome.