This charming mid-19th-century oil painting by German artist Georg Wilhelm Feistkorn (1811-1843) depicts a lady within an interior.
Sitting rather piously within a relatively sparsely decorated room, she’s echoing the sentiments of the ‘Biedermeier’ period. Sandwiched between the Neoclassical and Romantic periods, the Biedermeier style influenced painting, interiors and architecture. Following the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, citizens desired a wholesome way of life without drama or whims of fancy. There was a collective feeling of national pride coupled with a need for stability. This comfortable middle-class lady is an example of those ideologies and proud to display her appropriately styled decor.
Georg Wilhelm Feistkorn was well-versed in the philosophy of the Biedermeier period, particularly with regard to how it applied to portraiture. His fine, exquisitely detailed, works are a window into his world and rarely surface.
Signed/dated and held within a later frame.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 29” x 37½” / 73cm x 95cm
Year of creation: 1840
Provenance: Private collection, Germany.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Craquelure but the paint is stable. Old restorations. Frame with some light wear.
Georg Wilhelm Feistkorn was an accomplished German painter of portraits and genre scenes. He trained initially as a porcelain painter under Carl Schmidt and Philipp Petri in Göttingen, later turning his hand to oil painting. His fine and refined style is closely associated with the Düsseldorf School. The Göttingen Municipal Museum holds numerous paintings and sketches.
Learn more about Georg Wilhelm Feistkorn in our directory.
We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.
