Quantity selected exceeds current stock
This refined portrait by Anton Bayer, completed in 1822, depicts a distinguished woman seated with poise and dignity. She is dressed in a soft silver-lavender gown with a high Empire waist, emblematic of early 19th-century fashion. A translucent lace veil and delicate fichu frame her face with grace, while a rich crimson shawl draped over her arms introduces a vivid contrast to the otherwise cool palette of the composition.
The sitter rests one arm on a classical wooden table, the other hand gently placed at her waist—an elegant pose that balances self-assurance with restraint. Behind her, a draped green curtain and a stone column suggest a cultivated interior or symbolic architectural space, common in neoclassical portraiture to denote cultural sophistication and moral stability.
Bayer captures his subject with a psychological sensitivity that transcends mere likeness. Her direct gaze and subtle, enigmatic smile evoke a quiet strength and introspective character. The artist’s precise rendering of textures—lace, silk, wood, and skin—reflects a masterful command of detail and materiality.
This work exemplifies the formal elegance and introspective realism that define early 19th-century Central European portraiture, offering both a document of social identity and a nuanced study of character.
Born in 1768 in Svatá Anna (present-day Czech Republic), Anton Bayer was a painter of portraits, landscapes, miniatures, and genre scenes. He trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he lived for most of his life, aside from brief periods in Budapest (1821–1823) and Vienna (c. 1825). Bayer died in Prague in 1833.
Much of his clientele came from the aristocracy and upper-middle class, notably members of the Thun and Nostitz families. His work is rooted in the neoclassical tradition, informed by late 18th-century academic practices and softened by a Romantic sensibility. Bayer’s portraits are characterized by their compositional clarity, refined palette, and psychological depth—an approach that highlights both the social stature and inner life of his sitters.
Among his known religious commissions is an altar painting at the Church of St. Gall in Radaun, depicting a bishop healing a woman—a testament to his versatility and expressive range.
Artist: Anton Bayer (1768-1833)
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Condition: Very good condition.
Dimensions: 96 x 74 cm. / 37 3/4 x 29 in.
Frame: 116 x 93 cm. / 45 1/2 x 36 1/2 in. Very good condition.
Origin: Germany.
