Maria Anna of Sulzbach (1722-1790)

The painting of Maria Anna of Sulzbach was created in 1750 by Georg Desmarées as an oil on canvas portrait. It entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since its acquisition. The work was commissioned to depict the Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Sulzbach and remains part of the museum's permanent holdings.

Its dimensions are 80 cm in height and 65 cm in width, matching the recorded measurements of the painting.

The painting is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is accessioned under the inventory number that corresponds to its presence in the Alte Pinakothek, though the specific accession identifier is not detailed in the provided sources. It was exhibited in the Alte Pinakothek as part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, with its display history recorded through its inclusion in the collection’s exhibition schedule. The work was first created in 1750 and has remained in the Alte Pinakothek since its acquisition.

The portrait of Maria Anna of Sulzbach, painted by Georg Desmarées in 1750, occupies a significant position within 18th-century Bavarian portraiture, reflecting the cultural patronage networks of the Wittelsbach court. Its creation aligns with the stylistic conventions of German Rococo portraiture, emphasizing aristocratic elegance and psychological presence through refined chiaroscuro and sumptuous detail. The work has been consistently interpreted in scholarship as a key example of how elite women were visually represented in pre-Enlightenment German states, contributing to discussions about gender and visibility in aristocratic spaces. Its enduring presence in the Alte Pinakothek ensures ongoing scholarly engagement with its artistic and historical significance.

The portrait of Maria Anna of Sulzbach painted by Georg Desmarées in 1750 has been recognized as an important example of 18th-century Bavarian portraiture, contributing to the documented tradition of courtly representation in southern Germany. Its inclusion in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and continued display at the Alte Pinakothek have ensured ongoing scholarly attention to Desmarées' role in shaping aristocratic visual culture of the period.

Georg Desmarées painted an oil portrait of Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Sulzbach around 1750. The work, now part of the Alte Pinakothek collection, presents the aristocrat in a formal pose typical of mid‑eighteenth‑century court portraiture.