Artwork
The Elector of Saxony's Italian Dwarf, Giachomo Favorchi with Princess Magdalene Sibylle's Dog, Raro
The Elector of Saxony's Italian Dwarf, Giachomo Favorchi with Princess Magdalene Sibylle's Dog, Raro is an oil painting by Abraham Wuchters. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Abraham Wuchters, a painter from Brabant who worked chiefly in Denmark, completed an oil portrait in 1665 that pairs a man of short stature with a large white dog. The work is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst collection and exemplifies the artist’s activity among the Danish aristocracy and affluent middle class during the mid‑seventeenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a dwarf, identified as Giachomo Favorchi, attendant to the Elector of Saxony, dressed in a blue and gold costume and holding gloves. Beside him stands a Great Dane, equipped with a collar and chain, suggesting a domestic or courtly setting and highlighting the status of both the human and animal companions.
Technique & Style
Wuchters renders the scene with careful attention to texture: the dog’s fur is depicted in fine, tactile strokes, while the folds of the subject’s garment are modelled through subtle chiaroscuro. The background consists of a plain stone wall and a ledge, allowing light to fall on the figures and create a modest sense of depth typical of Baroque portraiture.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced while Wuchters, together with Karel van Mander III, was instrumental in transmitting Dutch Golden Age influences into Danish Baroque art. After remaining in private collections, it entered the holdings of Denmark’s national gallery, Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Abraham Wuchters (1608 – 23 May 1682) was a Brabant-born Dutch-Danish painter and engraver.
