Masterfully orientalist portrait of a Egyptian beauty with tambura was executed by Austrian painter Marie Müller (1847 Vienna - 1935 Vienna). She was sister of another Austrian orientale painter Carl Leopold Mueller and a co-founder of the group of eight women artists. After study, Maria Müller worked for ten next years with her sister Bertha as a portrait painter in her brother Leopold´s studio at the Vienna Academy. The sisters are also sponsored by August von Pettenkofen.
Marie Müller described herself as a student of her brother, who is considered the most important Austrian oriental painter. In 1883/1884 she accompanied him on a journey of several months to Cairo. In addition to portraits and studies, she also painted interiors there. After she made her exhibition debut in 1886, she got her own studio at the Academy in 1890. She worked there with her sister Bertha until 1902.
Marie Müller was one of the city´s most important portraitists at the turn of the century. Her customers were personalities from the social, artistic and economic life and the nobility. In 1891 she painted a portrait of the poet Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach for the city of Vienna. Those portrayed also included the author Betty Paoli, Ida Fleischl and Countess Festetics. Müller also had success with her miniatures on ivory. Around 1900 she was a founding member of the “Eight Artists” who exhibited together in the Pisko art salon for about ten years. Exhibitions: Marie Müller celebrated her artistic debut in 1886 at the annual exhibition of the Vienna Künstlerhaus with seven portraits. She then exhibited regularly at the annual exhibitions of the Künstlerhaus. Larger exhibitions were the IX in 1892. International art exhibition in the Munich Glass Palace and the III. International watercolor exhibition in Dresden and the following year the world exhibition in Chicago. Müller took part in the "Jubilee Art Exhibition 1898" in the Künstlerhaus Vienna and the "Austrian Jubilee Art Exhibition 1908" as well as in the exhibitions of the "Eight Artists" and "Eight Artists and their Guests" from 1900 to 1909. In the " Commemorative exhibition Leopold Carl Müller 1834–1892 ”of 1932, the“ Bertha and Maria Müller Collection ”was shown in addition.
Literature: Austrian artist lexicon by H.Fuchs, Vienna, 1975; Herbert Zemen (publisher): The portrait painter Marie Müller 1847–1935. Life and work. Wolfrum, Vienna, 2003.
Inscription: signed lower left, on the back of the frame - a label of a Viennese frame producer of that time.
Technique: oil on canvas. Original gold frame
Measurements: unframed w 16 1/8" x h 21 2/3" (41 x 55 cm), framed w 29 1/3" x h 34 7/8"(74,5 x 88,5 cm).
Condition: in very good condition |