Seven watercolours , matted and  framed together - the masterful work by famous Austrian-Russian portrait  painter and lithographer Michael Stohl ( 1813 Vienna - 1881). The artist , student of the Vienna Academy , after travelling  to Rome  recieved patronage of Russian Great Duchess Maria Nicolaevna (1819-1876), older daughter of Tzar Nicolas I. In the same time she was the President of Russian Art Academy . Michael Stohl has been offered to live and work in St. Petersburg as court painter. He created for Russian imperial house a series of watercolours as copies after old masters. We are certain that our watercolours come from this  series.  In 1850-1860 he was very popular in the court circles and noble houses in St.Petersburg as portrait and miniature painter . After his return to Austria he painted portraits of members of noble families : Lichtenstein , Schwarzenberg, Schoenburg, Lobkowitz, Waldstein , Lanckoronski . His estate  was in possession  of Baroness Mathilde von Doblhof( Vienna) and was sold by Fromme, Vienna  in 1926.

Literature: Thieme/Becker " Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenen Künstler von der antike bis zur Gegenwart"

Inscription: lower two watercolours signed on the reverse

Technique: framed and matted watercolours on paper

Measurements: : unframed  upper two w 7" x h 5 1/2" (18 x 14 cm) and  9" x 5 1/2"(23 x 14 cm ) ; middle three : w 4 1/4" x  h 12 3/4"( 11 x32.5 cm) ; w 8 3/4" x h 12 1/4"( 22 x 31) ; 4 1/4" x 12 3/4" ( 11 x32.5 cm); lower two  : each w 11 1/4" x h 4 3/4" ( 28.5 x 12 cm) ; all watercolours matted and framed w 29 3/4" x 28 3/4 "(75.5 x 73 cm)

Condition: in very good condition