Highlights

Description

The court society is gathered in front of the summer palace of the prince-bishops of Freising at Ismaning. While the table is being laid and the guests play cards at one of the gaming tables, a group is gathered around a harpsichordist with his instrument in the foreground. The host, Prince-Bishop Johann Theodor, leans casually on the back of the musician's chair. The younger brother of the reigning Bavarian Elector can be identified by his physiognomy and the pectoral cross set with diamonds. The painter of the picture has also depicted himself. Leaning over the parapet, he looks down from the balcony on the first floor. In his numerous portraits and society pieces, the Flemish painter Peter Jakob Horemans conveys a vivid picture of life at the Bavarian court.