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Countess Széchenyi
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This portrait typifies painting in Vienna between 1815 and 1865, an era known as the Biedermeier period, during which the Habsburg government promoted positive artistic depictions of Viennese life and culture. The mountains in the background express both the artist's romantic fascination with nature and patriotic devotion to his Austrian homeland. The sitter, Crescentia Seilern, was a prestigious member of the aristocracy who married Hungarian reformist patriot István Széchenyi.
| Artist / Maker | Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller |
|---|---|
| Date | 1828 |
| Culture / Origin | Austria |
| Medium | oil on fabric |
| Dimensions | Framed: 121.5 x 102 x 10.5 cm (47 13/16 x 40 3/16 x 4 1/8 in.); Unframed: 97.8 x 78.5 cm (38 1/2 x 30 7/8 in.) |
| Department | Modern European Painting and Sculpture |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller was the leading innovator for Austrian portrait, landscape, and genre painting of the romantic period, substantially contributing to a style that came to be known as Biedermeier.1 His earliest art lessons were in flower painting with porcelain painter Josef Zintler (d. 1826). From 1808 until 1813 Waldmüller attended the Vienna Academy at intervals, studying with Hubert Maurer (1738-1818) and Johann Baptist Lampi (1775-1837). The next two years Waldmüller engaged in painting portrait miniatures. He undoubtedly perfected his… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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