Portrait of a young woman in a white dress and a transparent scarf was executed in the first half of 19th century and due to the very close similarities was attributed to the hand of famous Hungarian portrait painter and lithographer  Jakab Marastoni, originally Jacopo Antonio Marastoni (1804, Venice – 1860, Pest). For comparison with other portraits by Marastoni.  Fully identical portrait of a same woman but in a blue dress see on the first our additional image. 

In 1830, Marastoni began his studies in Rome. He settled in Pest in 1836, having come by way of Vienna and Pressburg.[1] He soon became a much sought after portrait painter.

In 1846, he created the Első Magyar Festészeti Akadémiát (First Hungarian Academy of Painting)[1] which, as the name suggests, was the first school in Hungary devoted exclusively to painting. It was a private school, but numbered András Fáy, Gábor Döbrentei and Archduke Stephen, Palatine of Hungary among its patrons and supporters. The school also sold shares to the general public. Károly Lotz, Mihály Zichy, Soma Orlai Petrich and Mihály Kovács were some of the school's best-known students.[1] Shortly after founding the school, Marastoni was named an Honorary Citizen of Pest.

Literature: lexicons by: Thieme/Becker General artist lexicon, Leipzig, 1999 ( in German); lexicon of Hungarian painters by Dr.Nagy, Budapest, 1997 ( in Hungrian); on-line Wikipedia.

Inscription: unsigned.

Technique: oil on canvas, original period gilt frame.

Mesurements: unframed 23 3/4" x 29 7/8" (60,5 x 76 cm),  framed 28 3/4" x 35" (73 x 89 cm).

Condition: good condition, old relining of original canvas.