Brandenburg/Preußischer Hofmaler

Rupert Scipio Freiherr von Lentulus was initially an officer in Austrian service before rising to the rank of major general of cavalry in Prussia. As Frederick the Great's wing adjutant, he was one of the king's closest military confidants during the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and accompanied him in several decisive battles. His prominent position was also evident after the end of the war, when he was allowed to march into Berlin with Frederick in his carriage and take part in the great parade of troops at his side. In the equestrian portrait, which shows him on a rearing brown horse, Lentulus is wearing the Prussian uniform with a gold tricorn hat and the ribbon of the Order of the Red Eagle. With his right arm raised, he holds a drawn sword - a classic pose of military triumph. An almost identical version of this portrait can be found in the Historical Museum of Bern. Ludwig Meyer suggests that Lentulus sent this version to his hometown at the height of his fame, while the original offered here remained in Prussia. It is also conceivable that Frederick the Great himself was in possession of the painting, as the king had portraits of his most deserving equestrian generals hung in Sanssouci Palace. He owned portraits of Hans Joachim von Zieten and Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz in Sansscouci. It is quite inconceivable that the king did not own a portrait of Lentulus, an equestrian general whom he held in high esteem. With an expert opinion by Ludwig Meyer, Archiv für Kunstgeschichte, Munich, dated 18 July 2002 (copy).