(Atzgersdorf 1832–1889 Vienna)
Portrait of a Girl with a Moon Tiara, signed, inscribed A. Romako, a Roma, oil on canvas, 43 x 35 cm, framed, (Rei)

Letter of authentication issued by Dr. Cornelia Reiter, dated January 2013 available.

From the letter of authentication by Dr. Cornelia Reiter: (…) Romako’s child portraits take on both a qualitative and quantitative importance in his artistic oeuvre. They also stand out amongst Romako’s works for the depth and complexity in which the content is interpreted.(…) According to the signature, this portrait of a girl was executed during his sojourn in Rome, the brilliance of its execution and its multilayered interpretation rendering it a typical example of Romako’s genre. With the moon-shaped tiara and the ghostly background, Romako here again alludes to the Roman Diana or Greek Artemis, ancient goddess of the moon and the night. According to ancient mythology, Diana/Artemis was a protector of women and girls and this mythical reference appears to be the inspiration behind the motif. Taking into account later portraits of his daughter Luise (cf. Romako monograph 2010, CR 341), this could be an encoded portrait of Romako’s oldest daughter, born in 1864, with whom, sources say, he enjoy a close, personal relationship. (…)