Masterfully watercolour was executed in 1844 by one of the best Austrian Biedermeier portrait painters Josef Kriehuber, it depicts a noble child (ca. 5 years old ) with his toy. As it‘s known, Kriehuber was Austrian court painter and created numerous watercolour portrait of Austrian Imperial House (in German: Kaiserhaus) and European high society of his time. Josef Kriehuber is a very important name in the history of Viennese Art of the 19th century. Already at the age of 7 years he received drawings lessons from his elder brother and with 13 years old (1813) he became a student at the Viennese Academy where he studied until 1818. He lived 4 years in Poland as an art teacher of the family of Prince Sanguszko. In 1822 he came back to Vienna to attend again the Academy in 1823/24. In this time he became one of the best Viennese lithographers. At the beginning the subjects of his lithographs were copies after works of Schwind, Hoechle, Klein etc as well as his own horse studies and military scenes. In 1825 he started dedicating himself to portrait lithograph. In this period he created various portraits of renowned personalities of the aristocracy, musicians, writers, actors and scholars. From ca. 1830 onwards Kriehuber start producing portraits also in watercolor, what made him one of the most requested portraitist of Vienna. In 1860 he became a member of the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts.

Literature: Artist Lexicons by Thieme/Becker, H.Fuchs.

Inscription: signed and dated (1)844 lower left.

Technique: watercolour on paper, matted and framed.

Measurements: image w 10 5/8" x 13 3/4" (27 x 35 cm), framed w 14" x h 17 1/8" (35,5 x 43,5 cm)

Condition: professionally cleaned.