Pianoforte (65.256)

A square piano of typical rectangular form supported on tapered legs. Case front corners cut, and cherry veneered over pine. Front of legs and lid flap feature painted decoration. Painting on lid flap front depicts lilies and on the inside a trophy of musical instruments, French horn and drum. Legs painted with blue flowers below an inlayed ebony band. There is ebony banding at the joint of the leg rails and piano carcass. The lid opens to reveal a nameboard ad keys. An enameled nameplate of "Joseph Dohnal/ Burger in Wien" in black script surrounded by black and red scrolls, set into a stamped brass frame. Flanking the nameplate are two inlayed plaques outlined in ebony veneer. The natural keys are ebony veneered, and the accidental keys veneered in bone or ivory. Soundboard and movement of typical design and construction. The pine dust cover frame survives lacking the textile covering that was likely silk taffeta. Paper label on soundboard reads "JOSEPH DOHNAL / bürgl. Instrumentenmacher / wohnt an der neuen Wienn in der Gart= / ner Gasse im eigenen Haus / beym Meer= / sturm 176 / in Wien [JOSEPH DOHNAL / bürgl. Instrument maker / lives on the new Wienn in Gart = / ner Gasse in his own house / beym Meer = / sturm 176 / in Vienna]" above the image of a grand piano all encircled in an oval vine frame. Printed on machine made paper. The underside has two knee pedal dampers.

Provenance Narrative
Joseph Dohnal was born in 1759 in Dugy, Moravia (today Czech Republic); he was awarded the rank of master craftsman in piano construction in 1793 and the citizenship of Vienna in 1797. He was appointed piano maker to the court in 1800 and in 1806 was awarded a prize by the city of Vienna in recognition of his innovations in piano manufacture. He died in Vienna in 1829. His son of the same name took over the workshop in Laimgrube / Gärtnergasse around 1819 (Kremsegg Castle Collection website, Austria)

Place Made
Austria, Vienna

Signatures/Marks
"Joseph Dohnal/Burger in Wen" (touchmark)