(Memmingen 1640–1704 Augsburg) An Allegory of Good Government, monogrammed and dated lower right: JH 17.., oil on canvas, 104 x 110 cm, framed We are grateful to Dr. Peter Königfeld for confirming the attribution of the present painting. It will be included in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist. Dr. Königfeld writes: “due to its signature and characteristic stylistic features, the present painting can be assigned to the artist’s oeuvre without reservation. The overall composition (a narrow proscenium, with the scene spread out on a wooden floor, and an illusionistic stage behind, rendered as a trompe-l’oeil) and the figure type (self-contained figures that are not intended to represent individuals, but are components of an overall design) eliminate all doubt that this Allegory of Good Government may not be a work by Johann Heiss. It is typical of the artist’s economical work method to have referred to the same individual figures, groups of figures, and particular details over the years, quoting them time and again and almost literally in his compositions. Like in the present case, the artist’s focus was also on developing formal solutions for unusual subject matter, for which he essentially relied on his own repertoire, probably contained in a kind of sample book. The three enthroned female figures and the figure of the ruler, for example, are directly related to the composition Minerva as Goddess of the Arts, where the model of the ‘Cesi group’ is immediately recognisable. Correspondences to the figures seated in the foreground and, again, to the ruler can be found in Studio Classroom with Male Model (fig.1), while the carpet-covered table recurs in Card Players. In spite of these formal dependencies, Heiss, with his Allegory of Good Government, has created an entirely autonomous and novel composition that unfolds its peculiar charm even without any knowledge of its demanding message. The painterly quality of the work, which can also be observed in minor details, the rendering of the complexions, and the delicate palette of brownish, ochre yellow, bluish, green, red, and pink hues indicate that the painting is entirely autograph. It may be regarded as an important addition to the known oeuvre of Johann Heiss, who had a penchant for such unusual and intellectually ambitious subjects, which he likely created upon the demand of his patrons. The present painting must be understood as a picture puzzle whose complex layers of meaning offered entertainment and topics for discussion to well-educated buyers. According to the picture’s date, of which only a fragment has survived, this Allegory of Good Government has to be assigned to the artist’s final period, close to Antony and Cleopatra (Städtische Sammlung, Biberach an der Riss, dated 1700, cat. no. cf), Diana and Actaeon (Zweckverband OEW, Ravensburg, dated 1701, cat. no. A 12), and Dido and Aeneas at the Temple (art market, dated 1702, cat. no. A 23). The present painting has been added to the artist’s oeuvre catalogue under cat. no. 73.”

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