(St. Michael/Eppan 1704–1761)
Concert in a palace,
signed and dated on the right (in the dog’s collar): J. G. PLAZER,
oil on copper, 65.3 x 92.4 cm, framed

Provenance:
Formerly in the collection of the industrialist Adalbert Freiherr von Lanna (1836–1909), Prague;
and thence by descent to a private collection, Vienna

The present painting is accompanied by a certificate by Dr. Christina Pucher, author of the catalogue raisonné on the artist, (23 July 2013).

Dr. Pucher writes: “The scene depicted here can also be interpreted as an allegory of the Five Senses: visus, the sense of sight, is simply addressed by the wealth of detail; auditus, the sense of hearing, is represented by song and music; odoratus, or smell, and gustus, or taste, are symbolised by the food, fruit, and wine; and tactus, the sense of touch, is alluded to by the fabrics and rug, as well as the girl tenderly stroking the parrot. In this society piece, Platzer displays his extraordinary talents as an artist. He ignites a firework of ideas with an abundance of detail, exhibiting his extraordinary qualities in all genres of painting: still life, architecture, portraiture, figure painting, and landscape. Platzer also demonstrates his skills by his superior mastery of technique. Thanks to a special preparation of the copper plate he used as a support, he achieved most delicate nuances and a shimmering effect reminiscent of enamel. This technique, and conjunction with the copper support, has also ensured that the painting has survived in excellent condition…”. Dr. Pucher points out that there are only few copper panels in Platzer’s oeuvre that are equal to the present example with regard to quality and dimensions. In this context, she refers to Platzer’s Concert in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg (fig. 1), which shows numerous details that also recur in the painting from the Lanna Collection. A Fête Galante of similarly outstanding quality is in the collection of the Princes of Liechtenstein in Vienna. As far as the picture’s date is concerned, Dr. Pucher writes: ‘Establishing a chronological order for Platzer’s paintings mostly proves difficult, for he rarely dated his works. The accurate brushwork, the smooth manner of painting, and the harmonious composition suggest that the present painting was executed around 1735. The Liechtenstein painting is dated 1736 and therefore confirms the criteria mentioned…”.

The present masterpiece by Platzer comes from a prominent collection. J. Voigt wrote about Baron Lanna and his collection: “The legendary Lanna collections originate from the passionate pleasure the industrialist Karl Adalbert Ritter von Lanna (1805–1866) took in collecting art. Lanna’s wealth derived from his activities as a builder and imperial and royal ship operator. His son and heir, Adalbert von Lanna, numbered among the major figures in the public and cultural life of the Bohemian capital. An acclaimed art collector who was equally recognised as a connoisseur, Lanna was known all over Europe and invited to become a member of countless art societies in Bohemia and abroad. The Austrian Museum of Art and Industry made him one of its correspondents. It is well known that crucial impulses for the establishment of decorative art museums throughout Europe came from the First World’s Fair, which had been held in London in 1851, so that a similar project was also endeavoured in Prague. It is not surprising that Adalbert von Lanna was one of its promoters. In 1906, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, he donated to this museum, which had meanwhile been inaugurated, his precious collection of 1,144 glass objects. Prague honoured him with a medal and the emperor raised him to the rank of baron.”
For information regarding Lanna as a collector and personality please see the exhibition catalogue Voitech Baron Lanna – Collector, Patron and Entrepreneur, Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, 1996.

additional pictures
Johann Georg Platzer, Selbstbildnis, 1731, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Inv. Nr. Gem 954, © Tiroler Landesmuseen
Das Konzert, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg