(Vienna 1847–1935)
A life-size knee-length portrait of a lady with brunette hair in a white laced dress, holding roses, signed and dated Marie Müller 1902, pastel on canvas, 120,7 x 78,5 cm, framed, (Hu)

Marie Müller was the sister of the “Orient-painter” Leopold Carl Müller. She travelled with him to Egypt. She was well known for her portraiture, including several portraits which she made of the Austrian writer Marie von Ebner Eschenbach. In 1900 Marie Müller was the co-founder of an iniative called “Acht Künstlerinnen” (Eight female artists) which included prestigious artists such as Marie Egner und Olga Wisinger-Florian and promoted exhibitions of female artists. The present noteworthy pastel may be the portrait of a member of the circle of the Kinsky-Dubsky families for who Marie Müller executed numerous portraits. See for example the letter of Marie Kinsky to Marie Müller of April 30th, 1902: “Sehr verehrtes Fräulein, ob Sie so freundlich sein wollen ein Ölporträt meiner Nichte Dubsky zu malen ... darf ich auch bitten mir die Höhe des Honorars für ein Brustbild oder Kniestück ungefähr Lebensgröße mitteilen zu wollen... und fragen an ob Sie statt eines Ölbilds meiner Großnichte Dubsky ein pastelbild machen würden... (späterer Brief).” (Dear Miss, would you be so kind to paint an oil portrait of my niece Dubsky… may I also ask you to inform me about the amount of the fee for a bust length portrait or knee-length portrait of about lifesize … and may we also ask whether you can make a pastel of my grand niece Dubsky rather than an oil painting… (later letter). From: Herbert Zemen, Die Porträtmalerin Marie Müller, Privatdruck Wien 2003, p. 135 and S. 136.

We are grateful to Prof. Peter Jánosi for the scientific support.