Portrait of Hedwig Franciska Wussin

The portrayed person is Hedwig Catharina Maxmiliana Sophia Wussin, the niece of the Prague engraver Johann Franz Wussin. The luxurious dress adorned with flowers does not correspond to the social status of the girl, rather pointing to her stylization as the figure of Flora-Primavera. The flowers can also be interpreted as referring to her virtues, and may be reminiscent of the girl’s confirmation, at which she received the name Franciska. Both the roses in her hair, and a sprig of jasmine she is holding belong to Marian flowers, and together symbolize Christian faith. The elegant composition, the gracious gesture and smooth brushwork fulfill the idea of the period ideal of feminine beauty, at the same time reflecting influences of the contemporaneous French prestigious portraiture, which affected Kupezky during his Viennese period.