This romantical portrait of the roman girl was acquired at the important auction of Sotheby´s "Works of Art from the Royal House of Hannover" as a "Portrait of italian woman" by unknown german artist. The work was in original condition . After cleaning of the painting by our restorer we found an original monogram of the artist in lower right corner: ligated L and D (LD) ( see photo). After research in differnt monogram and artist lexicons we convinced that it is one of the author versions of important work "Die Albanerin "by famous german painter Ludwig (Friedrich-Ludwig-Theodor) Doell ( 1789 Gotha - 1863 Altenburg). It´s well known from the literature , that the artist painted " Die Albanerin" ( now in Lindenau museum, Altenburg) in the summer 1818 during his stay near Rome at the via Appia by village Albano from the daughter of his landlord, Mrs. Barbaruccia Pizzicaria and this work was so popular that Doell made a few versions of it . This portrait excited already in Rome such attention that immediately nine copies were ordered - a demand, which was rejected however by the painter. Only after he had shown the picture the Duke of Gotha after his return to the homeland in Gotha, Doell decided to paint versions of it.

One of this author versions is our painting from the property of Royal House of Hanover. It´s known also , becides of version in museum of Lindenau another two paintings situated in the "Bildergalerie" of Thurn und Taxis in Regensburg ( with the similar monogram as by our work ) and in Museum zu Gotha ( dated 1820) .

Ludwig Doell was born in 1789 in Gotha in the family of the sculptor Friedrich Wilhelm Eugen Doell. In the first time trained by his father and by the royal painter Kuehner in Gotha, in 1805 he became a student of Goethe´s friend Heinrich Meyer in Weimar. From 1806 he studied by the famous neoclassical portraitist Joseph Grassi at the Academy of Dresden. Together with Grassi Doell made two long study trips to Italy: in 1809-1811 and in 1817-1821. During these stays he was mainly copying old masters, but also painted his own compositions. Between 1807 and 1822 Doell was sponsored by Duke August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, who regularly gave him numerous portrait commissions. In 1812 Doell was appointed a director of drawing school in Altenburg, and along with this occupation had a close relationship to Gotha court during the following years. The success of "Die Albanerin" brought Doell many portrait commissions from the members of high society. Very soon he became the leading portraitist of his region. In 1824 he was appointed a professor and in 1826 finally settled down in Altenburg. In this town, just chosen as royal residence, he has risen to the leading painter of late classicism and biedermeier. His house became a meeting place for friends of art and a training place for young artists. In 1830-1834 Doell was a director of Kunst- und Handwerksverein (Society of Arts and Crafts) in Altenburg. Works of this artist are displayed in museums of Altenburg, Gotha, Halle, Weimar, etc.

Provenance: Property of Royal House of Hanover ( Estate of Queen ), important Sotheby´s Auction , Schloss Marienburg, Germany , 5-15.10.2005, Lot Nr. 1837

Inscription: signed with monogram, verso different original labels and inscriptions : property´s label of Queen of Hanover, label of Sotheby´s Auction and label of king castle Marienburg with inventory number.

Technique: oil on canvas. Luxuriousy original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed 24 1/2" x 29 1/3" (62 x 74,5cm,) framed 31 1/4" x 36 1/4" ( 79,5 x 92 cm)

Condition: in very good condition