(Vienna 1793–1855)
The hound of Count Esterházy, inscribed „Auftraggeber Familie Esterházy”, signed and dated J. M. v. Hermann 1839, black ink, watercolour on millboard mounted on cardboard, 25,7 x 34,2 cm, framed, trimmed at the right, the frame slightly damaged, (BH)

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller also painted the hunting dog of Count Esterhazy, which was a black and white spotted Münsterländer dog. In 1823 Waldmüller received the commission to paint a portrait of Count Ladislaus Esterházy-Galántha. In this context Waldmüller may have also painted two pictures of the count’s hounds. Three portraits of the dog are known: „Der Jagdhund des Grafen Esterházy, bei Gewehr Jagdtasche und zwei Rebhühnern sitzend“ (The hunting dog of Count Esterhazy seated next to a gun, hunting bag and two partridges)(WV Nr. 131), „Der Jagdhund des Grafen Esterházy, am Tümpel stehend“ (The hunting dog of Count Esterhazy next to a pond) (WV Nr. 132), „Der Jagdhund des Grafen Esterházy, am Bach liegend“ (The hunting dog of Count Esterhazy resting near a brook) (WV Nr. 133). Compare: Rupert Feuchtmüller, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller 1793–1965, Vienna - Munich 1996, S 37-38 and WVZ S 431.

Johann Michael von Hermann was born in Vienna in 1793. From 1805 onwards he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Johann Hagenauer in order to become a painter and engraver. Due to the loss of his father’s fortunes in the years of the Napoleonic wars in 1809 and 1811 he was forced to earn money and executed small drawings and miniature portraits. Eventually he specialized in restoring damaged engravings. In 1821 he moved to Munich where he founded the “Hermannsche Kunsthandlung” and a publishing house for lithographs. Hermann was also one of the founders of the Munich Kunstverein in 1824.