(Vršac 1859–1957 Vienna)
Portrait of the hat factory-owner August Hückel (1838–1917), signed, dated and inscribed P. Joanowitsch Wien 1914, incised Aug. Hückel in the upper right, inscribed on the reverse August Hückel 1914, 76 Jahre alt, oil on canvas, 130 x 94 cm, framed, (Rei)

Provenance:
Private Collection Germany.

We are grateful to Dr. Petar Petrovic for confirming the authenticity on the basis of a photograph.

Pavle Paja Jovanovic, who was born in the middle of the Banat, showed great interest in painting early on and moved to Vienna at an early age. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts (1877-1880), after which he specialised in history painting during his studies under Leopold Carl Müller (1880-1881). He travelled to Albania, Montenegro, Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and to his native Serbia. In 1883 he exhibited successfully in London, where he was signed by the ‘French’ gallery. Due to his financial success, he was able to travel extensively through the Caucasus and across much of the Balkans. In 1893 he joined the Serbian Royal Academy as a corresponding member. From 1905 he devoted himself mainly to portraiture, which is marked by academic Realism. Patrons of these works came mainly from affluent clientele, including bankers, industrialists and representatives of the international political, artistic or cultural elite, including the sitter in this lot. It depicts the Imperial and Royal hat factory owner August Hückel (1838-1917), who in 1868 took over his father’s business together with his two brothers Johann (1843-1917) and Carl (1850-1919). The company J. Hückel’s Söhne was the first to produce the necessary haircloths for hat making itself. In 1893 the company was awarded the title of Imperial and Royal Hat Manufacturer. This portrait depicts the industrialist seated in his study, powerfully expressing the dignity of the individual.