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Lot Essay
In a letter dated 16 December 1986, Dr. Gerbert Frodl suggests the present work is typical of Makart's portraits as it places more emphasis on masterful execution than on creating an individual likeness.
Typically, Makart would place the sitter, usually a member of the Viennese beau-monde, in his atelier and surround her with an arrangement of objects as with a still-life. He would then personally choose the appropriate costume from his own plentiful stock, selecting the colours of the draperies, flower arrangements and the dress according to the hair colour of his sitter. He thus metamorphosed society ladies into creatures of his own imagination, into a sort of tableau vivant, which he then set out to capture on canvas. The sitters would relish the opportunity to appear in fancy dress, reliving, in a playful way, the splendours of the past. This form of historicism was a particular favourite with Makart who made this style of Rococo revival painting in Vienna his own.
Though it is not possible to positively identify the sitter, Dr. Frodl suggests it could be Countess Bianca Teschenberg, painted in 1882, whose portrait was believed lost. The style of execution corresponds to this period in Makart's artistic career, and the painting was described in an exhibition catalogue from 1882 as one of 'those costume paintings only Makart knew how to arrange, in a way we can all believe in, while in others we cannot but think of masquerade when we see modern people portrayed in strange costumes.'.
Typically, Makart would place the sitter, usually a member of the Viennese beau-monde, in his atelier and surround her with an arrangement of objects as with a still-life. He would then personally choose the appropriate costume from his own plentiful stock, selecting the colours of the draperies, flower arrangements and the dress according to the hair colour of his sitter. He thus metamorphosed society ladies into creatures of his own imagination, into a sort of tableau vivant, which he then set out to capture on canvas. The sitters would relish the opportunity to appear in fancy dress, reliving, in a playful way, the splendours of the past. This form of historicism was a particular favourite with Makart who made this style of Rococo revival painting in Vienna his own.
Though it is not possible to positively identify the sitter, Dr. Frodl suggests it could be Countess Bianca Teschenberg, painted in 1882, whose portrait was believed lost. The style of execution corresponds to this period in Makart's artistic career, and the painting was described in an exhibition catalogue from 1882 as one of 'those costume paintings only Makart knew how to arrange, in a way we can all believe in, while in others we cannot but think of masquerade when we see modern people portrayed in strange costumes.'.