Franz von Lenbach (1836 Schrobenhausen - 1904 Munich) Portrait of Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke A portrait of Moltke, painted with a quick brushstroke and effective lighting, who holds his head in half-profile, his gaze directed into the distance, whereby Lenbach expressively depicts his energetic character. This portrait, probably painted around 1880, is part of a larger series of Moltke portraits that Lenbach created over a longer period of time from around 1879, including the two well-known paintings in the Berlin National Gallery (inv. no. A I 286) and the Hamburg Kunsthalle (inv. no. 1491). These were created at the same time as his more than 80 Bismarck portraits and can certainly be seen in this context. In addition to the statesman Bismarck, Moltke, as Prussian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff, played a significant role in Prussia's success in the German Wars of Unification and thus also in the founding of the German Empire. Lenbach's portraits still characterise the image of these two political and military personalities today - in 1904 Gustav Pauli wrote of Lenbach's portraiture "Our grandchildren will see these men through Lenbach's eyes". Oil on canvas, mounted on cardboard. L. o. signed; 48 cm x 38.5 cm. Frame. Oil on canvas, laid down on cardboard. Signed.