The Fortress of Königstein

The Fortress of Königstein was commissioned by Augustus III, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, between 1756 and 1758 as part of a series of five views of the fortress intended for the royal palace's painting collection [1]. The work remained in the possession of the sitter's descendants, passing to Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston, and later to his son Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston [1]. It was sold at Foster's in London on 5 November 1850 [2], then to Henry, 4th Earl Beauchamp, and subsequently inherited by Else, Countess Beauchamp [3].

The painting was sold at Sotheby's in London on 11 December 1991 [4] and acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1993 [5].

The Fortress of Königstein is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the collection through a sale at Sotheby's London on 11 December 1991 (no. 18) and was sold to the National Gallery of Art on 3 June 1993. The work is catalogued in the National Gallery of Art's collection with accession data reflecting its transfer from the estate of Else, countess Beauchamp, following the 1991 auction. The painting measures 133 cm in height and 235.7 cm in width, consistent with the dimensions recorded in the National Gallery of Art's catalog.

The work was previously owned by Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, and later by Henry, 4th Earl Beauchamp, before passing to his granddaughter Else, countess Beauchamp, whose inheritance facilitated its 1991 auction and subsequent acquisition by the National Gallery of Art.

Bernardo Bellotto’s oil on canvas, dated 1757, depicts the Fortress of Königstein perched atop a rugged hill. The composition balances the imposing stone structure with a surrounding landscape of fields, trees, and a winding road, while figures and livestock occupy the foreground, creating a lively yet orderly scene.