Portrait of the Artist’s Wife

Karel Purkyně

Karel Purkyně - Portrait of the Artist’s Wife
In the Purkyně family Marie Purkyňová, born Wiedermannová, (1841-1914) went under the pet name of "mistress Marjánka" or "the blond". She came from Wroclaw, daughter of the singer Max Wiedermann and his wife, the actress Helena, born Dolejšová. Marie married Karel Purkyně in February 1860 and this portrait is from the same year. Purkyně painted it over an older portrait of Marie Wiedermannová, at the time his fiancée. In his treatment he modified the composition and substantially interfered even with the looks of the model, portraying his blond wife with dark hair and changing the original pale-blue dress into a historicizing flaming-red costume.
date:
measurements: height 50 cm
width 45 cm
material: canvas
technique: oil
inscription:
inventory number: O 4701
gallery collection: Collection of 19th Century Art and Classical Modernism