This miniature portrait is attributed to Franz Joseph Noortwyck (1767-1788) of Anholt in Westphalia. At age 17 he was appointed miniature painter to Clemens Wenzelslaus (who features in the adjacent miniature), but Noortwyck died very young, only three years later.Schidlof comments "Noortwyck was a miniaturist of quality, who painted in fine and regular "pointille". His works very much resemble those of Victorien Campana."
The sitter is Princess Marie Kunigunde of Saxony (1749-1826) , the sister of Clemens Wenzelslaus. For more about her see Princess von Saxony Kunigunde and also Women in power 1770-1800 where the following quote is from.
"1776-95 Princess-Abbess Maria Kunigunde von Sachsen of Thorn (The Netherlands)1776-1802 Princess-Abbess of Essen (Germany) - After the weddings plans with Empress Maria-Teresia's son the later Joseph II of Austria, she was elected Coadjutor of Essen and Thorn in 1775 with the right of succession, which took place the following year, after the death of Franziska Christine von der Pfalz-Sulzbach.
As Sovereign of the two Ecclesiastical Territories of Thorn and Essen in the Netherlands and Germany, she spend most of her time by her brother, Elector Klemens Wenzeslaus von Trier (see the adjcent portrait of her brother), and dominated the government here. France occupied Thorn in 1795 together with the rest of the Netherlands. Essen was secularized and became a part of Prussia 1803. Between 1807-13 it was part of France until it again became part of Prussia. She was the 14th and last child of the Elector of Sachsen and King of Poland and Lithauen, Friedrich August II and Maria Josepha von Habsburg. Her sister, Marie Christine, was Princess-Abbess of Remiremont from 1773."
The von Sachsen inventory number is 17805. 278
The miniature was originally offered at William Doyle Auctions on 24 January 2001 as below.
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