(Vienna 1745–1799)
Portrait of Archduchess Marie Christine, Duchess of Teschen (1742–1798), holding a fan,
signed and dated on the plinth centre left: J Weikert / gemalt 1778.,
oil on canvas, 118 x 98 cm, unframed 

Provenance:
Königliche Garde–Meubles–Verwaltung (1882–1910), Dresden (inv. no. Cap. I.A.a, Nr. 180);
Verein Haus Wettin Albertinische Linie (inv. no. VHW 1928, Cap. I A, Nr. 223);
after 8 May 1945 confiscation and expropriation of House Wettin property, allocated to the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden;
restituted to the Verein Haus Wettin Albertinische Linie in 1999;
European private collection

We are grateful to Georg Lechner for confirming the attribution of the present painting.

This resplendent portrait of Archduchess Marie Christina is a characteristic example of the portraiture by the Habsburg court painter, Johann Georg Weikert. Enriched by strong colours and embellished with sumptuous fabrics and lace, the present painting recalls other works by Weikert, among them the Portrait of Archduchess Maria Carolina (1752–1814) conserved in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 2734) and the Portrait of Francesco Conte Algarotti (1712–1764) in the Residenzgalerie Salzburg (inv. no. 264). Weikert worked as a pupil of the famous Swedish-Austrian painter Martin van Meytens (1695–1770) at the Habsburg court in Vienna, where he produced numerous portraits of the Viennese aristocracy. Many of the portraits by Weikert are now dispersed in various key collections, including the Galerie Belvedere, Vienna; the Hungarian National Museum, Budapest; and the Palace of Versailles.

Maria Christina was the fifth child of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and was considered the Empress’ favourite child, as seen in the letters that the Maria Theresa wrote to her. Certainly, her tutors considered her to be the brightest of the Habsburg children, moreover she displayed a proven talent as an accomplished painter – her portrait of the Imperial family celebrating Saint Nicholas still hangs in the Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna. In 1766, Maria Christina was allowed to marry for love, a prospect that was not allowed to the other children. Her choice was her second cousin, Prince Albert of Saxony (1738–1822), the son of Maria Theresa’s cousin Maria Josepha and the King of Poland. The couple received the Duchy of Teschen, and she was appointed Governor of the Austrian Netherlands jointly with her husband during 1781–89 and again 1791–92. They shared a common interest in art and soon began acquiring drawings and engravings together, the collection of which was to become the famous Albertina collection, one of the largest and finest of old master prints and drawings in the world.