Schrobenhausen - portrait of an elderly lady, distinguished, life-size portrait

(1836 Schrobenhausen – 1904 Munich) Portrait of an Elderly Lady, an imposing, approximately life-size bust portrait. A confidently standing lady in a black dress with a high collar, set against a landscape background. Stylistically, Lenbach stands at the intersection of realism and moderate impressionism, which is especially noticeable in the treatment of the background. Trained at the Munich Academy, the artist became a sought-after portraitist of the aristocracy, bourgeoisie, and important figures from politics, society, science, and culture from 1868 onwards. One of them was Chancellor Otto Fürst von Bismarck, for whom he created more than 80 portraits between 1874 and 1897. He also established the general image of the Chancellor in the eyes of the public. His artistic idols were Peter Paul Rubens and Titian, whom he considered the most capable of conveying the individuality of the person depicted in the painting. Thanks to his outstanding social standing and lifestyle, he became the embodiment of the prince of artists in Munich. Oil, canvas; signature in the background; 118 cm x 86 cm. In a frame.