(Piesting 1796–1862 Vienna)
Portrait of Johann Nepomuk Stephan von Sacher (Königswart [Lçzn₧ Kynžvart] 1759–1836 Lemberg [Lviv]) with the Order of Leopold, in the background the Wieliczka Salt Mine, signed, dated Leopold Kupelwieser 1826,
oil on canvas, 105 x 80 cm, framed, (Rei)

Provenance:
European Private Collection
Depicted here is Johann Nepomuk von Sacher, a Galician official who worked as the director of the Wieliczka Salt Mine from 1795 onwards. Von Sacher is proudly represented with the Leopoldsorden he was awarded in 1818.
Created by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1808, the order, which recognised someone’s services to the empire, also granted the receiver with a nobility title; von Sacher was awarded a knighthood. On the right, we can see the entrance of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. First mentioned in the 12th century, it is Europe’s oldest salt work still in use, and now a UNESCO world heritage site. After the first Partition of Poland in 1772, it became property of the Austrian Empire. The beauty of its over 300km-long galleries, its unique salt chapel and the spa that is situated inside the mine make it one of Poland’s most visited tourist attractions.