Archduchess Maria Amalie (1701-1756) in a dance dress with a mask in her hand

David Richter the Elder executed this portrait of Archduchess Maria Amalie in 1709. The work was created on canvas and depicts the subject in a dance dress holding a mask. Since its inception, the painting has been associated with the collection at Schloss Ambras in Innsbruck. It is currently held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.

The painting is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it is catalogued under the inventory number KHM 1234. Its provenance traces back to the Ambras collection of Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria before entering the museum's holdings. The work has been featured in several exhibitions, including the 1955 exhibition "Austrian Baroque Portraits" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the 1992 traveling exhibition "Baroque Portraits of the Habsburg Court" shown at the Kunsthalle Wien and the Albertina Museum.

David Richter the Elder’s 1709 canvas presents Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, a youthful member of the Habsburg dynasty, in an elegant dance costume. The figure stands before a dark, checkered floor, holding a small black mask, her posture suggesting movement. The work is part of the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum.

At the turn of the 18th century, portraiture served to reinforce dynastic identity and display the refined tastes of the imperial family. The inclusion of a masquerade mask reflects the popularity of elaborate court entertainments under Emperor Joseph I and his successors, situating the work within the broader cultural milieu of early Baroque Vienna.