Marie Antoinette as Erato

1788 · Palazzo Coronini Cronberg, Gorizia

portrait

Erato was one of the nine Muses, the ancient Greek goddesses of music, song and dance. In the Classical era, when the Muses were assigned specific literary and artistic spheres, Erato was named Muse of erotic poetry and mime, and represented with a lyre. Her name means lovely or beloved from the Greek word eratos.

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About the Artist

Ludwig Guttenbrunn

1750 – 1819

Austrian portrait painter. He studied painting under Martin Johann Schmidt. By 1770 he was working for the Esterházy family, where he painted portraits of the reigning prince, Nikolaus (Miklós) Esterházy, and possibly the portrait of Joseph Haydn. He also created decorative paintings for Nikolaus's new palace at Eszterháza. By 1772 he had moved to Rome, where he had been sent to study by Prince Esterházy. He continued to work as a portrait painter, later moving to Florence, where he executed a self-portrait which hangs in the Uffizi Gallery. In 1789 he moved to London. Shortly after arrival, or perhaps on the way, he produced the portrait of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. In 1795, on the recommendation of the Russian envoy in London, he moved to St. Petersburg, then later to Moscow. His portrait of Alexej Kurakin dates from his stay in Russia. He is known to have been in Dresden in 1806, then after 1807 back in Rome. Guttenbrunn's last attested painting dates from 1813.

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