Rare portrait of  Baroness Mary Vetsera  (1871-1889), Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria's mistress.

On April 12, 1888 Mary was at the horse races at the Freudenau in the Prater and there she met the crown prince Rudolf. Rudolf took her for walks at the Prater and gave her little gifts. Countess Marie Larisch (1856-1940), the daughter of empress Elisabeth's oldest brother Ludwig, helped her to gain access to Rudolf's room. By January of 1889 the affair had become passionate, and this was known by many, including Emperor Francis Joseph himself. At the end of January Rudolf had a serious argument with the emperor, possibly about his liaison with the young baroness. On January 29 1889 Rudolf and Mary were together at the royal hunting lodge at Mayerling, located 30 kilometers from Vienna. The two lovers were found dead the next morning. This scandal, with its mysterious circumstances, is known as the Mayerling Incident , after the name of the lodge.

The author of our painting Joseph Morgan (Belohlawek-Morgan) (1839-1898) was portrait painter in Vienna , pupil of G.Ricard .

Literature:  Thieme/Becker, XXV;Leipzig, 1999;  Prof.H. Fuchs, Maler (19.Jh.) Erg.-Bd I, 1978

Inscription: signed upper right

Technique: oil on wood. Original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed w 15 1/3" x h 20" (39 x 51 cm), framed w 29 1/5" x h 33 4/5" (74 x 86 cm)

Condition: in very good condition