Discovery of a Portrait depicting Marie-Louise of Austria by J. Ender

We feel lucky to have recently been able to procure this portrait by the Viennese artist Johann Ender (1793-1854) from a seller in the United States! Ender is considered one of the most reputable portrait artist of his time, being granted the honor to paint many members of the nobility during his lifetime. With the help of our friend and expert Dr. Michael Habsburg-Lothringen, we were able to unmistakably identify the young woman in the painting as the duchess Marie-Louise of Austria (Wien 1791 – 1847 Parma)! Marie-Louise, the daughter of Emperor Francis II. and Maria-Theresa as well as second wife to Napoleon I., is depicted here by Ender in an opulent white dress with frills and ribbons, a wide hat, simple yet elegant jewelry, a notebook on her lap and a feather in her hand.

As you can tell, the effects of time have left some marks on the original Biedermeier period frame. Fortunately, due to our numerous contacts to restoration-workshops we are looking forward to presenting the portrait to you in a fully restored state very soon!