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painting of a man riding a horse with a group of men in uniform behind himpainting of a man riding a horse in a field with trees in the backgroundpainting of a man riding a horse in a field with other men in the background
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Carl Friederich KIØRBOE (1799–1876)
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Estimate €1,500 - €2,000
Sale commission
Description
Carl Friederich KIØRBOE (1799–1876) “Equestrian Portrait of Emperor Napoleon III” Sepia ink and pencil on paper. Preliminary wash for a commissioned life-size canvas. 39 x 32.5 cm In 1855, the Imperial Commission organised the Great Exhibition. On this occasion, the painter Carl Friederich Kiørboe, renowned for his depictions of horses and hunting scenes, was commissioned by Napoleon III to produce his equestrian portrait for the imperial apartments at the Louvre. Kiørboe produced several slightly different proposals. According to the Louvre’s records, this work was purchased for 8,000 francs; it is now catalogued at the Louvre under inventory number MI138. Two other identified portraits match this description: - A canvas (163 x 131 cm) held at the National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm. - An equestrian portrait, signed and dated 1856, purchased at auction in 2011 for 125,000 Swedish kronor (Auktionsverket.com). These two versions differ slightly (the horse’s hind leg shifts from one hindquarter to the other), which confirms the hesitations of either the artist or his patron. Kiørboe also depicted Empress Eugénie on horseback on several occasions. These works do not appear to have been part of the Louvre commission. One is held at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen and another at the National Museum of Sweden.
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About the sale [IN PREPARATION] THE TREASURES OF ACTEON
Auction location
Auction time 12/12/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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