A portrait of Lola Montez

The present lot is a portrait of the Irish born Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert (1818-1861) who was also known as 'Lola Montez, the Spanish dancer.' Following her first marriage to Lieutenant Thomas James, she embarked on a career as a dancer and actress. During her extensive travels throughout Europe she had numerous affairs with, amongst others, the composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Romantic novelist Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870).
In 1846 Lola Montez performed in Munich where Ludwig I of Bavaria could not resist her stunning beauty. He offered her a castle, which she duly accepted, and he raised her to Baroness Rosenthal and Countess of Lansfield. She remained his mistress until 1848 when the regime of Ludwig I collapsed and Lola fled to London.