The Great Still Life School of Vienna

(1808, Altershfeld near Vienna – 1884, Vienna) Large Still Life with Dahlias and Chrysanthemums. An arranged, lush bouquet of multicolored, full dahlias in a vase, in front of which are various fruits—pears, light and dark grapes, and an exotic Mediterranean pineapple. A faithful depiction, an artistically outstanding Biedermeier still life of the Vienna school, in which the bright flowers and fruits are effectively accentuated by the surrounding tonal shades and background. Leopold von (or van) Stoll was active in Austria, Krakow, and Warsaw around 1828. In 1830, he traveled to St. Petersburg, where he worked on composing floral arrangements for the botanical garden. In St. Petersburg, he gained recognition and in 1831 was awarded the title of "academician" in the field of still life with flowers and fruits. Based on these successes, Stoll returned to Vienna in 1834, where in the same year (and later also in 1838 and 1840) he participated in the annual exhibition at St. Anna. Several of his still lifes were held in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Oil on canvas; signed and dated 1841. On the reverse, an old collector's inscription from Dr. Richard Tonet of Vienna, as well as another inscription with information about the provenance "from the collection of Jakob and Gabriele Tonet." 114 cm x 86 cm. Frame. Provenance: From the collection of the Viennese furniture dynasty Tonet—Jakob Tonet (1841–1929) and Gabriele Tonet, later Dr. Richard Tonet (1879–1951).