Extremely rare portrait of Czech composer Frantisek Kotzwara, oil on canvas

  

Executed by a 1st-class English portraitist shortly before the strange death of the sitter, it is an extremely rare representation of well-known Czech-English violinist, virtouse double bassist and composer Frantisek Kotzwara (only one other reliable, drawn portrait showing him as a young man is known). He is depicted here holding the score of his most known composition - "The Battle of Prague" (1788). Frantisek Kocwara, known later in England as Kotzwara, was born in 1730, in Prague, and was something of a nomad. He travelled around Europe and performed with various orchestras. His mature career was based in England, where his compositions were published from 1775 onwards.

These include string quartets, serenades and string trios. In London he played in the Concerts of Ancient Music, in the Handel Commemoration of 1791 and in the orchestra of the King's Theatre. The only piece of his to have achieved renown is "The Battle of Prague", a composition based on the 1757 Battle of Prague, in which the Kingdom of Prussia fought the Habsburg Monarchy. "The Battle of Prague" was a popular piece of music during the late 18th and 19th centuries, with Mark Twain mentioning the piece in his books "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "A Tramp Abroad", and by Thomas Hardy in "A Pair of Blue Eyes".

A similar piece, The Siege of Quebec, often attributed to Kotzwara, is probably an arrangement by the Krift using assorted materials of Kotzwara. On September 2, 1791, while he was in London, Kotzwara visited a prostitute named Susannah Hill in Vine Street, Westminster.

After dinner, with her in her lodgings, Kotzwara paid her two shillings and requested that she cut off his testicles. Hill refused to do so. Kotzwara then tied a ligature around the doorknob, the other end fastened around his neck, and proceeded to have sexual intercourse with Hill.

After it was over, Kotzwara was dead. This is one of the first recorded deaths from erotic asphyxiation. Susannah Hill was charged with Kotzwara's murder, and tried on September 16 at the Old Bailey.

She was acquitted, as the jury accepted her testimony about the nature of Kotzwara's death. The court records of the case were supposedly destroyed in order to avoid a public scandal, though it is likely that some kind of copy was made.

It is believed that this copy was used to produce a 1797 pamphlet about the incident, including Hill's account of the event. A 2005 radio competition organised by the Radio Prague station led a listener to reveal that these court records had in fact not been destroyed, and somehow found their way to the Francis Countway Library of Medicine in Boston.

In 1984, a paper about Kotzwara's death was published in the "American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology", entitled "The sticky end of Frantisek Kotzwara, composer of "The Battle of Prague. A pamphlet, "Modern Propensities", with details of the trial and an article about auto-erotic asphyxiation was published (as said above) in London about 1797. Provenance: English antique trade, August 2021.

Measurements: UNFRAMED: 76.2 cm x 63.2 cm / 30.0" x 24.9" inches. FRAMED: 95.7 cm x 83.2 cm / 37.7" x 32.8" inches.

Object Type: Framed oil painting. CZECH BOHEMIAN ENGLISH BRITISH MUSIC MUSICIAN COMPOSER PROSTITUTE EROTIC STORY MALE PORTRAIT VIOLIN. Professional packaging and fully insured expedited service.

When contacting us please refer to item. This item is in the category "Art\Paintings". The seller is "boris_wilnitsky_fine_arts" and is located in this country: AT. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Size: Large
• Region of Origin: Europe
• Handmade: Yes
• Production Technique: Oil Painting
• Framing: Framed
• Style: Old Master paintings
• Item Height: 37.7in
• Item Width: 32.8in
• Material: Canvas
• Time Period Produced: 1750-1799
• Type: Painting
• Subject: Portrait, Music, mus
• Year of Production: 1788/91
• Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
• Listed By: BORIS WILNITSKY FINE ARTS
• Unit of Sale: Single Piece