Dominik Biemann Northern Bohemia, Giant Mountains, around 1830. Biedermeier period. Exceptional chalice attributed to the great Dominik Biemann commemorating the Battle of Austerlitz.

Dominik Biemann Northern Bohemia, Giant Mountains, around 1830, Harrachsdorf (Harrachov) or Franzensbad (Frantiskove lazne). Biedermeier period. Exceptional chalice with lid in perfect condition attributed to the great Dominik Biemann, a work created to commemorate the great Battle of the Three Emperors, Austerlitz (now Slavkov, in Moravia near the city of Brno - about 100 km north of Vienna). The quality of the engraving is extraordinary. The representation of details is admirable. The hand of the great master is evident, who has never been equaled by anyone in the art of glass engraving in any country of the world and in any era. This work can be ascribed to the period of his life from 1826 to 1935, when, thanks to his friendship with another great master of the time, Anton Heinrich Mattoni, he moved to the Bohemian spa towns (in particular Franzenbad, now Frantiskové Lazne). where he entered into contact with the "beautiful world" and the aristocracy of the time, achieving fortune and success. The work has three sides, in each of which one of the three belligerent emperors is depicted: Napoleon I for France, Francis I Kaiser of Austria and Alexander I Tsar of Russia. In the upper part, the symbols of the three empires they represented, interspersed with the effigies of the battle (cannons, acanthus, spears, etc.). Regarding the attribution of this rare and splendid work, it should be noted that bust portraits of emperors were made by several great Bohemian masters of the Biedermeier period; specifically, in addition to Dominik Biemann, there are works that have come down to us by other great Bohemian masters, such as Franz Hansel (published by Baumgaertner in 1988), Emanuel Hoffman (Brozova 1978 n.60), Franz Anton Pelikan and finally August Bohm (Glasgravueren des Biedermeier by Paul Von Liechtenberg p. 204 and other works at the Museum of Technology in Vienna). The attribution to Dominik Biemann is certainly the most probable considering the quality, the details of the grinding, the subject and the shape of the work (see for example the typical minor decorative motifs with symmetrical ground rosettes, often present in Biemann's works). The chalice is in perfect condition and has no restorations. It measures cm. 33, width. 11. The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors (because Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Francis I were present on the field), was the last and decisive battle that took place during the War of the Third Coalition. It was fought on December 2, 1805 near the town of Austerlitz (the current municipality of Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic, near Brno) between the French Grande Armée composed of about 73,000 men commanded by the emperor and a joint army, formed by Russians and Austrians, made up of over 85,000 men, commanded by the Russian general Michail Kutuzov, with the collaboration of the Austrian general Franz von Weyrother. The battle, which ended with a crushing victory for the French, for the tactical and strategic ability shown and for the results achieved, represents the greatest success achieved by Napoleon in his military career. Over time, it assumed an almost mythical status in the Napoleonic epic. Dominik Bimann (or Biemann) (born April 1, 1800 in Neuwald (Neuwelt) near Harrachsdorf, died September 29, 1858 in Eger now Cheb) was the best glass engraver who ever lived. He continued the family tradition of glass processing and learned the technique and art from the great Franz Pohl. After attending art school he studied anatomy in Prague from 1826 to 1829 at the Academy of Fine Arts. This explains his predilection for busts and human figures as expressive as possible. He subsequently began his business in Prague. While he initially worked on some simple crystal glasses and cups, he gradually began to receive orders from high commissions for complex works, such as a portrait of Goethe, his friend, and Caspar Graf von Sternberg, a member of the high Bohemian nobility. While the economy of the time was growing and taking advantage of it, Bimann moved in the summer of 1829 to Franzensbad where some of the prestigious Bohemian glass factories were located. There he worked for aristocratic spa customers and for the monarchy, mainly creating portraits on glass. He later moved to Vienna and Berlin to learn about the latest developments and artistic trends. Bimann was a true artist of the Biedermeier era. In fact, he was deeply rooted in the customs, traditions and tastes of his time. When in 1855 fashion began to change and his fortunes as an artist together with the completely different world in which he lived vanished due to the spread of the industrial revolution, probably seized by despair, he attempted suicide. He died three years later due to the consequences of this attempt. Literature: Kurt Pitrrof, Dominik Biemann, Bohmischer Glasgraeur des Biedermeier Anorldosche (Germany). Das Boemische Glas Band II. Passauer Glasmuseum. Brosova Buqouy, Spiegl. Gustav Pazaurek-Eugen von Philippovich, Glaeser der Empir und Biedermeierzeit, Klinkhardt Braunscheig. Pezatova Zuzana; Broch Jndrich Title: Bohemian Engraved Glass. Feltham, Hamlyn, 1968. Paul von Lichtenberg, Glasgravuren Biedermeier Visible by appointment / not present on our premises. Confidential negotiation In compliance with the provisions of the New Code of Cultural Heritage, the selling company provides, at the time of sale, a detailed written photographic guarantee of the originality and provenance of the works sold. The data with which the works are described and then contained in the written guarantees are expressed determinations resulting from accurate and documented technical/historical/artistic investigations, even of an expert nature.