Identify this GeneralOberst Portrait - Austro Hungarian

[GaHistory]

I won this massive portrait at auction - it is 100% period and original. Size is 50" x 40" - and the portrait painter was quite skilled - Canvas is marked by the maker on back of Koller & Co. of Vienna. Unfortunately unsigned and no other name. His awards are:
Hesse Order of Philip the Magnanimous Commander with Swords
Bavaria Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown
Nassau Order of Adolph
Baden Order of the Zahringen Lion

All Knight level - at least that's As close as I could come (with help from the auction company). The size and quality of the portrait plus his medals leads me to believe he was a man of some importance.

Thought I would post him here and see if anyone could take a guess.
I went through this list and don't think I found him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genera...Hungarian_Army

He looks super in my war room and makes quite an impression.

[VtwinVince]

Fantastic portrait.

[ccj]

Looks to be a general rank to me, not GeneralOberst


Collar insignia of an Austro-Hungarian "general of the branch"
In the Austro-Hungarian Army there were three general of the branch ranks:
General der Infanterie (en: General of the Infantry)
General der Kavallerie (en: General of the Cavalry)
Feldzeugmeister (en: General of the Artillery)

[GdC26]

I'm inclined to think full colonel: the tunic looks like a standard regimental tunic to me, and the buttons are not the general's type. The commanders cross may indeed be that of Philip the Magnanimous, if the colonel wears it the wrong way around (the reverse of the order sports a lions, like that visible in your painting). The Verdiensorden der Bayerische Krone and the Orden von Zähringer Löwen are correctly identified, I think. I'm not sure that the second breast order is indeed the knights cross of the Nassau order of Adolph, though: wrong ribbon, and wrong center medaillon. To me, the ribbon looks like that of the Russian order of St. George.

[JasonA]

.

[JasonA]

That is one stunning period oil. Not my collecting focus, but when you have a quality portrait like this, done by a very talented artist, it will look superb on display and elevate the collection.

Hard to find museum quality examples like this.

Thank so much for sharing!

Best regards,

Jason

[ccj]

After looking again I would agree with the rank of Colonel.

[GdC26]

A very dear and very knowledgable friend says colonel with 1866-1870 collar. That seems to be borne out by the decorations, as Hessen Darmstadt, Bavaria and Baden supported Austria in the 1866 war against Prussia (which as you probably know, ended badly for Austria ..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Prussian_War )

[GaHistory]

The canvas maker on back is stamped. All other paintings with this stamp i have found were painted by Vienna artists and in the 1860 to 1880 range. After that the company went to paper label on back. But of course if could always be a reused canvas as artists do a lot. Black light and bright light show a little repair fills but other than that I think this is the only painting done on this canvas. So yes I think this is pre 1900 and probably 1860s. I did find this link with a dead hit on the collar.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene...llery_(Austria)

The great thing about this. Bought site unseen other than photo ar small Ohio auction. German military collection liquidation. Also bought a 1910 10th Bavarian Stein. Since the painting was so large only a little interest. Shipping would have been 400 us using UPS. I lucked out. 800 bid won it....Auction house delivered it to my door for 75 us. Their Son lives close by....he was in Ohio helping liquidate this collection then coming home. He pulled the blanket off and i hit the floor.

[GdC26]

The canvas maker on back is stamped. All other paintings with this stamp i have found were painted by Vienna artists and in the 1860 to 1880 range. After that the company went to paper label on back. But of course if could always be a reused canvas as artists do a lot. Black light and bright light show a little repair fills but other than that I think this is the only painting done on this canvas. So yes I think this is pre 1900 and probably 1860s. I did find this link with a dead hit on the collar.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene...llery_(Austria)

It's a colonel, not a general ...... And based on the observation from a knowledgable friend and the fact that the colonel wears 3 decorations of Austria's allies in the Austro-Prussian war of 18rr, it probably dates between 1866 and 1870 .....

[JasonA]

You lucked out geographically. Most are unwilling to spend that much on freight.

J-

[David Müldner]

The second order is the oak crown. And he appears to be wearing his neckbadge backwards

[GdC26]

The second order is the oak crown. And he appears to be wearing his neckbadge backwards

I originally thought so, too: but the ribbon seems off (orange is predominant on the oakleaf crown ribbon). But if the second color on the ribbon is green rather than black (impossible to judge from the pics posted) you may be right.

[David Müldner]

I originally thought so, too: but the ribbon seems off (orange is predominant on the oakleaf crown ribbon).

There is a book on the oak crown order, just to be sure I contacted Erik Müller a specialist on the order. If your guy was awarded the oak crown order, it would narrow the list down considerably.

[GdC26]

There is a book on the oak crown order, just to be sure I contacted Erik Müller a specialist on the order. If your guy was awarded the oak crown order, it would narrow the list down considerably.

Thanks David, let's see what gives, Personally, I'm still leaning towards the Russian St. Georg on account of the ribbon: but I admit the center of the second order seems to bear a cypher (on dark red, as far as I can see, but difficult to make out), so perhaps you are correct.

Btw, it's not my portrait.