" Three women feeding swans", from the former property of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III

August Ferdinand Hopfgarten studied since 1820 at the Art Academy in Berlin by Heinrich Anton Daehling, Johann Gottfried Niedlich and Wilhelm Wach. The academy price in 1825 made him possible a five-year stay in Rome between 1827 and 1832. He became the member of famous "Ponte-Molle Gesellschaft" and took part at the German exhibition in 1828. After his return 1833 he was established as successful portrait and genre painter in the tradition of old "Berliner school" and his teacher C.W.Wach. Historical painting "Tasso before Leonore von Este" (created 1839) situates in the National gallery in Berlin. He took part in stereochromen painting of the city castle chapel of Berlin and in the hero paintings in the north dome hall of the New Museum in Berlin. Since 1828 he represanted regulary in the exhibitions of Berlin Academy. In 1854 he became a professor and member of the Art Academy in Berlin. August Ferdinand Hopfgarten died on 26 July 1896 in Berlin. His grave lies on the cemetery II of the cathedral municipality in Berlin.(wikipedia)