Francesco Solimena – Johann Matthias Von Der Schulenburg, Field Marshal Of The Venetian Republi

Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (1661–1747)—depicted here in armor and wearing the cross of the Order of Malta—was the field marshal commanding Venetian and Order of Malta troops during the Battle of Corfu (1716), where he defended the city against a Turkish siege and led the Maltese and Venetian forces to victory. This oil-on-canvas painting has been examined by Professor Stefano Causa, who, in a fifteen-page study, attributes the work to the great Francesco Solimena. It is a museum-quality piece measuring 109 x 91 cm, housed in its original frame.
Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (1661–1747) was an influential nobleman, German general, and patron of the arts, remembered as the legendary savior of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman invasion. His life can be summarized in three main chapters: his military career in Europe (an aristocrat of Prussian origin, he honed his skills on European battlefields as a mercenary commander and skilled strategist in the service of the Dukes of Savoy and the Crown of Saxony); the epic events of Corfu and Venice (in 1715, he was hired by the *Serenissima* Republic as a marshal; in 1716, he led the miraculous defense of the island of Corfu, repelling the siege of a vastly superior Turkish army—a victory that halted the Ottoman advance in the Mediterranean—and was subsequently honored with a statue and became the undisputed architect of Venetian military reforms); and finally, his patronage and retirement in Verona (in his later years, he served as the military governor of Verona before gradually withdrawing from public life to return to Venice, where he became one of the most important collectors and patrons of 18th-century artists such as Canaletto, Guardi, and Piazzetta). Upon his death, in accordance with his wishes, his remains were divided between Venice and Verona. In short, he embodied the archetype of the eighteenth-century aristocrat: a ruthless and brilliant warrior, yet also a cultured and refined man who loved beauty in his private life.