Mm 1830

[Malvasia]

and now something fun

[Malvasia]

No guesses?
Selfportrait.

[bobc100]

I guess that rules out the possibility that this is a portrait of Le Petomane. He had a mustache anyway...

[Malvasia]

Another selfportrait:

[Malvasia]

In spite of the impression you might have got from his selfportrait, our artist was able to produce more serious works.

[brianvds]

That second self-portrait reminds me a bit of work done by the Nazarenes, but not the two other paintings. What does he have in his hand there? A sort of very small recorder/whistle?

Anyway, a preliminary search has brought up zilch thus far. Good challenge, this one!

[bobc100]

Here's a detail of a portrait of Emperor Franz I Of Austria which looks very much like the same person, or at least possibly the same crown, but finding this one hasn't led me to any of the paintings you've shown us :

[Malvasia]

You got the emperor indeed, although not the artist yet.

Our artist was born during his reign. His birthplace can be somehow linked to an event that is celebrated today.

[serenely asymmetric]

Giuseppe Tominz

Autoritratto, 1825

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:To...ritratto_1.jpg

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Tominz

Found after leg up from bobc100 for tracking down the emperor, who seemed to like having his portrait painted!

[brianvds]

Originally Posted by Malvasia

You got the emperor indeed, although not the artist yet.

Our artist was born during his reign. His birthplace can be somehow linked to an event that is celebrated today.

From the Wiki article:

"Jožef Tominc was born in Gorizia as the second of eleven children of a Slovene ironmonger, Ivan, and his wife Marjana, née Janežič."

So which event is it that is still celebrated?

Aha, it turns out I was right about a Nazarene influence on his work, although he wasn't directly associated with them:

"When depicting religious motives, Tominc relied on graphical templates, the old Italian masters and Nazarene painters."

[Malvasia]

Originally Posted by brianvds

From the Wiki article:

"Jožef Tominc was born in Gorizia as the second of eleven children of a Slovene ironmonger, Ivan, and his wife Marjana, née Janežič."

So which event is it that is still celebrated?

Aha, it turns out I was right about a Nazarene influence on his work, although he wasn't directly associated with them:

"When depicting religious motives, Tominc relied on graphical templates, the old Italian masters and Nazarene painters."

The event celebrated on november 9th is the fall of Berlin wall. What very few know is that Gorizia too was cut in two towns by a "wall". By contrast to Berlin wall however, this one was not taken down 20 years ago, it lasted till last year.

[brianvds]

Originally Posted by Malvasia

The event celebrated on november 9th is the fall of Berlin wall. What very few know is that Gorizia too was cut in two towns by a "wall". By contrast to Berlin wall however, this one was not taken down 20 years ago, it lasted till last year.

Ah, so the connection is rather tenuous, but it IS there! ;-)
I was thinking in terms of some sort of formal celebration like Christmas or something! ;-)