This masterfully portrait of a lucky cellar master at wine testing was executed by very good listed Austrian genre and portrait painter Ernst Nowak (1851-1919) . Nowak was a pupil of the Vienna Academy under Carl Wurzinger and August Eisenmenger. He became famous for his portraits and genre scenes with monks. From 1888 Nowak was a member of the Vienna Artists Unit.

Literature: Thieme/Becker V. 5, 1911. H.Fuchs "Lexicon of austrian artists of 19th century", Vienna, 1975.

Inscription: signed E. Nowak upper left.

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

Measurements: unframed w 5" x h 6 1/8" (12,8 x 15,5 cm) , framed w 11 3/4" x h 13" (30 x 33 cm).

Condition: very good.