PONCELET, Thierry (Belgian, b. 1946). Hartmut von Bierstadt. [Ca. 1990s]. Oil on canvas portrait of a man with the head of a Great Dane. Signed at the upper right hand corner. Sight: 49 ½ x 36”. Frame: 57 x 44 x 2 ½”. A few small scratches, a few faint cracks. Excellent. Not examined out of frame. “Behind that doleful mien lurked one of the Second Reich’s most playfully cunning minds. The Kaiser’s dashing haberdasher, Bierstadt used to rifle Wilhelm’s pockets during fittings and substitute memoranda forged in the Kaiser’s own hand: “Order extra tuxedo pants for Bierstadt” … “Bierstadt’s nephew as Postmaster - Great Idea!” Only when he discovered that his Cabinet was composed exclusively of Bierstadts, did Wilhelm grasp the awful truth.” (p. 70, Sit! The Dog Portraits of Thierry Poncelet, text by Bruce McCall, Workman Publishing (1993) - an inscribed first edition of this book is included in this lot). Third Party Shipping Required.