Portrait of Anna Charlotte Dorothea, Rechsgräfin von Biron, Herzogin of Kurland und Sagan née Gräfin von Medem (1761-1821), half length, wearing a white dress with blue silk wrap, pearls in her hair

The sitter married Peter, Count of Biron (1724-1800) in 1779. They lived in the Castle Loebichau, near Leipzig, from 1795 onwards. At least three other portraits of the sitter are known, all in the National Museum Warsaw; the first, to be dated to circa 1790 is, by Marcello Bacchiarelli, the second, dated 1791 is, by Anton Graff (E. Berckenhagen, Anton Graff, 1967, n0228) and the third of about the same date is also by Anton Graff, (E. Berhagen, op. cit., n0224). The present picture must have been executed circa 1779/80, shortly after the sitter's marriage.
We are grateful to Mr L. Meyer for suggesting the attribution on the basis of a photgraph and for his help in cataloguing this lot.
His certificate, dated 15 September 1998, is available to the buyer.