The Cleveland Museum of Art
Countess Széchenyi
Description
This portrait typifies painting in Vienna between 1815 and 1865, an era known as the Biedermeier period, during which the Habsburg government promoted positive artistic depictions of Viennese life and culture. The mountains in the background express both the artist's romantic fascination with nature and patriotic devotion to his Austrian homeland. The sitter, Crescentia Seilern, was a prestigious member of the aristocracy who married Hungarian reformist patriot István Széchenyi.
Provenance
Possibly Dr. Izidor Deutsch [d. 1906], Budapest; Maximilian Mauthner, Schloss Feistritz, Wechsel, Austria; (Sale, Dorotheum, Vienna, June 15, 1925, lot 69); Possibly Dr. Paul Eger [1881-1947], Basel; (Sale, Galerie Fischer, Lucerne, Nov. 7-9, 1940, lot 1250, sold to Galerie Nathan); (Galerie Nathan, Zürich); (Erich von Kreibig, Munich); (Sale, Neumeister, Munich, Sept. 20-22, 1972, lot 1689; (Galerie Grünwald, Munich); Private collection, Munich; (David Carritt, Ltd./Artemis Group, London, and Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Dimensions
97.8 × 78.5 cm
Movement / Period
Accession No
1988.57
Official Citations
Curatorial Affinity Stream
Continuing the Universe of Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (Austrian, 1793–1865)
Modern European Painting and Sculpture • Austria • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries
Continuous Discovery