Unknown artist: Portrait of Hermann Weber

"Portrait of a child of the brewer Hermann Weber in Offenbach"

Oil on canvas, 58 x 39.5 cm, unsigned, around 1858

1. biographical information

Hermann Johann Konrad Weber, who belonged to the Protestant confession, was born on
He was born in Offenbach on April 8, 1848 and died on April 26, 1901. He was a brewery owner, brewer and lieutenant in the army. His brewery was located at Große Marktstraße 42. He was married to Mathilde, née Reich (14.11. 1852-31.10. 1918), who was married to Konrad Link from Frankfurt am Main in her first marriage. From this marriage came a son who emigrated to Columbus (USA) in 1894. Her second marriage to Hermann Weber produced a son and a daughter.

The painting shows the approximately 10-year-old Hermann in black clothing with a straw hat in his hand standing in front of a tree. A house, perhaps the summer house of the Weber family (?), can be seen in the background. The light-colored straw hat and the boy's face stand out effectively against the dark coloring. In contrast to the painting by Franz Anton Riesbeck, created around 20 years earlier, the focus here is on the characterization of the boy.
The painting by Hermann Weber also represents an important Offenbach industry - the brewery.