#friedrich leopold burde

[galleryofunknowns]

Paul Eduard Maximilian Burde (b.1819 - d.1874) 'The Dancer Fanny Cerrito (b.1817 - d.1909 also called Fanny Cerrito St. Leon) as 'La Esmeralda', oil on canvas, no date (est. 1844), for sale est. 6,500 - 8,000 EUR in Bassenge Gallery's Old Master & 19th Century Paintings sale, June 2020; Berlin, Germany.

Fanny is depicted in her role of 'La Esmeralda' in the ballet of the same name by Jules Perrot and Cesare Pugni. In the background is the Notre Dame, and the letters below her spell out ‘Phoebus’. Fanny Cerrito was the Prima Ballerina of La Scala Theatre, Milan, at the time; she may have only appeared as principal dancer in Antonio Monticini's 1839 version of La Esmeralda. (x)

In a lithograph published by L. Sachse & Co., found in the New York Public Library digital collection, the artist is written on the work as ‘Gez. von Burde’ and the NYPL attributes this to Friedrich Leopold Burde (b.1792 - d.1849), Berlin professor and painter, whilst the Bassenge Gallery auction listing gives Paul Burde as its artist, who was Paul’s uncle.

As Friedrich Burde was primarily a painter of animals, it is much more likely by Paul Burde’s hand.