Alexander Clarot was a very renowned Austrian painter and miniaturist of the 1st half of the 19th century. Born in Vienna in 1796, he attended the Vienna Academy in 1810-1815, worked in Budapest in 1820s/1830s, was an art teacher of the Count Sandor family. Rumours say that he has been a pupil of the famous portrait miniaturist Henri Benner with whom Clarot supposedly stayed in Russia between 1814 and 1818. He lived in Vienna until 1836 and then moved to Prague. Being also known as illustrator, Alexander Clarot won special popularity for his oil, watercolor and miniature portraits depicting mainly the representatives of Austrian and Bohemian (Czech) noble families. Several works by him were lithographed by his brother Johann Baptist Clarot. His works can be seen in museum collections in Hungary, Czech Republic and Austria.

Literature: Prof.H.Fuchs " Die Österreichischen Maler", Vienna, 1975; Thieme/Becker "Lexicon of artists from antique to contemporary" (in German), Leipzig, 1999.

Inscription: signed and dated (1)835 lower left.

Technique: watercolour on paper, original period gilded frame.

Measurements: unframed w 7 1/8" x h 8 2/3 " (18 x 22 cm), framed w 11" x h 12 2/3 " (28 x 32 cm)

Condition: in very good condition.