Buzási Enikő szerk.: In Europe' Princely Courts, Ádám Mányoki, Actors and venues of a portraitist's career (A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria kiadványai 2003/1)

Harald Marx: "THE LUCKY STAR OF PAINTING HAS RISEN" Painting and Art Patronage in Dresden under Augustus the Strong and Augustus III

Sebastian Wetzel: Perspective cross section of the Catholic Hofkirche, Dresden, showing the projected altarpiece and ceiling paintings. Ink and watercolor, 1747 Dresden, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Sachsen Electoral Gallery offers the richest arsenal of aids ever provided by such an establishment. What treasures are missing from this picture collection comprising the masterpieces of the best painters of all the schools? It is open to the friends of art at any hour, and thus the students, who have acquired the basics, can train themselves on the basis of these wonderful works of art."

80 Besides Anton Raphael Mengs, Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich also had a prominent place in the gallery. The first printed catalogue of 1765 lists thirty-one of his works, fourteen of them on religious themes. Dietrich had an eclectic interest in the famous models of various countries and ages; he could imitate the great masters of the past and the idyllic-gallant painting of contemporary French artists in a virtuosic manner, and he even surpassed them by eliminating their "mistakes."

81 Perhaps this explains why he was so amply represented in the gallery: at first sight his pictures could be taken for works of the "old" masters. There were particularly highly prized works, which, precisely because of their artistic quality, were not removed from the intimate sphere of the royal family: Anton Kern's Massacre of innocents was moved to the gallery from the royal bedchamber. Jean Auguste Lehninger expressed it clearly in 1782: "Kern chose Rome for his place of residence when he painted his excellent picture, the 'Massacre of the innocents,' which has earned its place in the Dresden Gallery."

82 The king also loved the Dutch and Flemish 17

th-century small masters. A collection of their choicest works were kept in his private gallery, together with Magdalene, then attributed to Correggio.

83 "Some parts of this collection had to accompany him on his journeys to Hubertusburg or Warsaw."

84 The gallery and the Dresden painters were also connected in other ways. When new acquisitions were planned, the painters acted as experts and mediators, and they were restorers and curators of the picture collection as well. Gustav Otto Müller reported: "On April 23, 1742, aware of Le Plat's impending death, Silvestre submitted a petition to Count Brühl asking him to lobby for his appointment as gallery director. Brühl, however, had reservations, fearing Silvestre would be engaged too much with the office, which meant time lost for the court and for