Oil on canvas
Russia, 18th century
Karl Friedrich Ivanovitch Knappe (1745-1808) – Russian painter of animals and plants
Signed with the signet of a groom (in German: “Knappe”, as the surname)
Overall dimensions, framed: 60 x 70 cm
Good condition
A teacher and counselor of the Petersburg Academy of Arts, Karl Friedrich Ivanovitch Knappe was highly appreciated by his contemporaries. He had patrons in the highest circles of the Russian society and his portraits of animals were extremely sought-after

The present painting is the work of the Russian artist Karl Friedrich Ivanovitch Knappe, who specialized in animals and botanical depictions. The work shows a portrait of a Pekingese with a shiny black coat and a keen glance. With his front paws he covers a piece of paper that shows the emblem of a squire. It is reported that Knappe sometimes preferred to use this signet instead of signing his pictures by hand.



Although a small number of his works are documented today, Knappe obviously entertained close connections to the best circles of Russian society. For instance, he was commissioned by Count Grigorij Alexandrowitsch Stroganoff (1774 - 1857) to produce two portraits of his lapdogs, now in the collections of the Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg.



The painting is in good condition considering its age. The canvas has been relined on a coarse canvas and mounted on a new stretcher. The painting shows framings marks to the edges, partially with color loss and few retouchings. The wooden frame has a relief structured surface and is set in gold and black. It is affected by some tiny bumps and small material losses here and there. The framed painting measures 60 x 70 cm. The stretcher itself measures 41 cm in height and 51 cm in width.



Karl Friedrich Ivanovich Knappe (1745-1808)

The Russian painter Karl Friedrich Ivanovich Knappe was of German origin and received his first artistic training at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In 1770, he was promoted to become a teacher of the class for animal painting. As a result of his outstanding achievements, he was eventually appointed as the Academy’s Counselor in 1784 and also asked to teach at the German Petri School in St. Petersburg. Knappe, being a specialist in animal and botanical painting, also produced genre paintings and was active as an engraver. Today, Karl Friedrich Ivanovich Knappe is rather sought-after by collectors of this genre. Some of his works are well preserved in private collections and at the Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg.