A pair of outstanding romantical noble portraits created by the author in Rome in 1846. The author, famous Austrian Nazarene artist Baron Carl von Blaas the Elder (1815-1894), father of the famous genre painter Eugen von Blaas. Carl von Blaas was a very important figure of the Austrian art history. He was a student of the Venice Academy between 1832 and 1837, travelled to Rome on a five-year-grant and there came into contact with the leading member of the Nazarenes, the German artist Overbeck and his circle. He also studied in Munich for two years and then painted comission works for churches in Paris, London, Italy, Hungary, Russia etc. From 1851 he stayed in Vienna and from 1856-1866 was a Professor of the Venice Academy. Von Blaas shared the Nazarene´s fascination with Renaissance artists and identified with their religious mission of art.

Literature: Thieme/Becker "Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler.." ; Prof.H.Fuchs, Lexicon of austrian artists, Vienna, 1975; Saur, AKL (Genaral Artist Lexicon) .

Inscription: both signed and dated 1846 : lady: in the middle right; gentleman: lower left.

Technique: both: oils on canvases, gold-plated frames.

Measurements: each, unframed w 27 3/8" x h 35 1/2" (69,5 x 90 cm), framed w 30 3/4" x h 38 3/4" (78 x 98,5 cm)

Condition: in very good condition.