This mid-19th-century German oil painting depicts a lady wearing a pink dress with a lace collar, gold jewellery including a brooch with an inset pearl, and holding an embroidered blanket or shawl.

Completed around 1840, the fine details here are synonymous with the artistic approach during the ‘Biedermeier’ period. Sandwiched between the Neoclassical and Romantic periods, the Biedermeier style influenced painting, interiors and architecture.

Artists flourished during this time, producing detailed scenes to celebrate family values and meticulous portraiture. Each sitter was rendered akin to a miniature, agonised over. Expression was frowned upon, these new patrons sought to convey permanence rather than fleeting emotions. Two of the key tenets were moderation and modesty, which may explain the rather pious appearance of our sitter. The inclusion of the embroidery indicates her skill with handicrafts.

An inscription on the reverse includes two dates, 1818 and 1885, which presumably relate to her birth and death. Her name, however, has been lost to time.

Held within a simple later frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 13” x 15½” / 33cm x 39cm
Year of creation: c. 1840
Labels & Inscriptions: Dates inscribed on reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, Germany.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable.
Our reference: BRV1791