The Portrait of the Gem-cutter Dionysio Miseroni and his Family (
Czech: Podobizna řezače drahokamů Dionysia Miseroniho a jeho rodiny) is a 1653 group portrait by
Czech artist
Karel Škréta of a lapidary craftsman and his family. This representative example of the
Bohemian Baroque style is currently deposited in the
Schwarzenberg Palace, a part of collection of the
National Gallery in Prague,
Czech Republic.[1][2]
The
Miseroni family, of
Italian origin, was a well known producer of precious gems and metalwork in
Bohemia. The painting shows its most famous member
Dionysio Miseroni (1607–1661) at the height of his fame wearing his gold medal that he received from
Emperor Ferdinand III. He is surrounded by members of his family, who all helped in the workshop – it is visible in the background on the right, with big wheels used for propel saws and machines which grind precious stones. His second son Ferdinand Eusebius is reaching towards a cabinet holding
rock crystal vases, many of which have been identified. The central vase is considered to be the "Rock crystal pyramid" (
German: Bergkristall-Pyramide) in the collection of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum in
Vienna,
Austria.[3][4] Behind the curtain on the right, the uncertain form of a vase is sometimes considered to be the large
emerald vessel that Miseroni produced in 1641 and today in the collection of the
Imperial Treasury in Vienna.
Miseroni inherited the workshop from his father Ottavio (1588–1624), who had been Treasurer before him at the
Prague court.[5] His first-born son Jan Octavius (with a beard and leaning towards his father) inherited the workshop in turn from him.[6]
Details
Dionysio with his older sons (on left) Jan Octavius and Ferdinand Eusebius
Younger Miseroni sons, Václav Eusebius (sitting) and Ignác František (with a piece of
smoky quartz in hand)
Gem cutting workshop, on the left are heads of Dionysio's wife Marie Ludmila and daughter Marie Laura
The Portrait of the Gem-cutter Dionysio Miseroni and his Family (
Czech: Podobizna řezače drahokamů Dionysia Miseroniho a jeho rodiny) is a 1653 group portrait by
Czech artist
Karel Škréta of a lapidary craftsman and his family. This representative example of the
Bohemian Baroque style is currently deposited in the
Schwarzenberg Palace, a part of collection of the
National Gallery in Prague,
Czech Republic.[1][2]
The
Miseroni family, of
Italian origin, was a well known producer of precious gems and metalwork in
Bohemia. The painting shows its most famous member
Dionysio Miseroni (1607–1661) at the height of his fame wearing his gold medal that he received from
Emperor Ferdinand III. He is surrounded by members of his family, who all helped in the workshop – it is visible in the background on the right, with big wheels used for propel saws and machines which grind precious stones. His second son Ferdinand Eusebius is reaching towards a cabinet holding
rock crystal vases, many of which have been identified. The central vase is considered to be the "Rock crystal pyramid" (
German: Bergkristall-Pyramide) in the collection of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum in
Vienna,
Austria.[3][4] Behind the curtain on the right, the uncertain form of a vase is sometimes considered to be the large
emerald vessel that Miseroni produced in 1641 and today in the collection of the
Imperial Treasury in Vienna.
Miseroni inherited the workshop from his father Ottavio (1588–1624), who had been Treasurer before him at the
Prague court.[5] His first-born son Jan Octavius (with a beard and leaning towards his father) inherited the workshop in turn from him.[6]
Details
Dionysio with his older sons (on left) Jan Octavius and Ferdinand Eusebius
Younger Miseroni sons, Václav Eusebius (sitting) and Ignác František (with a piece of
smoky quartz in hand)
Gem cutting workshop, on the left are heads of Dionysio's wife Marie Ludmila and daughter Marie Laura