The Tansey Miniatures Foundation

Die Miniatur Über den Künstler

The Tansey Miniatures Foundation

DE
The Miniature About the Artist

Boy in Dark Blue Uniform

Adalbert Suchy

This picture shows an unknown uniformed boy in a military posture, viewed from below. He wears a proud facial expression and the cloudy evening sky underlines the heroic effect in this depiction. He seems to be sure that entering the military academy has marked his initiation into society.1

After the Teresian reform, sons of noblemen received a military education. From 1806 the average starting age was ten to twelve; the sitter in this miniature is of that age.
After studying at the academy in Vienna, Adalbert Suchy became a much sought-after miniaturist and painted portraits for members of the nobility and the imperial family. His works often include a bright pink colour in the flesh parts. The cloudy sky reveals the influence of Isabey, which suggests that the miniature was painted after the Congress of Vienna because his works were not exhibited in Vienna before that time.
D. O.

1 The uniform cannot be classified. It is possible that the boy had joined the infantry cadets, although they did not carry swords (unlike this sitter). See Ledermayer, 1973, Introduction.