This splendid early 18th-century oil painting by German artist Balthasar Denner (1685-1749) depicts Captain Mathias Ibsen Lunding (1690-1728).At the height of his success, Balthasar Denner was considered by many as one of the greatest living portraitists. In 1721, his ‘portrait of an old woman’ was finished with such attention to detail that it was met with sheer astonishment. It was photographic, but pre-dated photography by a century. Every hair was precisely rendered, even the facial ‘fuzz’. While each wrinkle was painstakingly replicated. A bidding war ensued, with various interested parties, and eventually, it was sold to Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, for 5875 Dutch guilders (around £400,000 in today’s currency).Numerous commissions followed and he travelled extensively, living in Amsterdam, London and various parts of Germany. His studios were entertaining, with his children often accompanying a sitting with music. Denner’s portrait of George Frideric Handel is at the N...