Artwork
Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg
Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Hans Muelich. It dates from 1545 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The careful details in her clothes and face suggest the artist took time to capture her likeness exactly.
This painting shows a woman in fancy 16th-century clothes. She wears a white cap with a dark band, a black dress, and a patterned collar. Her hands hold a small object wrapped in cloth, and a gold chain with a pendant hangs around her neck. The background is plain and dark, keeping focus on her.
The date "1545" is written on the wall behind her, showing when this portrait was made. The careful details in her clothes and face suggest the artist took time to capture her likeness exactly.
Next, look up Hans Muelich to see how he painted other people in his time.
Subject & Meaning
The painting Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg, executed by Hans Muelich in 1545, portrays a German aristocratic woman of the Freyberg family. Rendered in oil on panel, the work measures 61.4 cm by 46.0 cm and is classified as a 16th‑century portrait. Its subject, Maria Kitscher, later known as Frau von Freyberg, is presented in a manner typical of elite portraiture, emphasizing status and lineage.
The composition follows contemporary conventions of representation, serving as a visual record of noble identity in Renaissance Germany.
Technique & Style
The Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg is executed in oil paint on panel, a standard support for mid-sixteenth-century German portraiture. Hans Muelich produced the work in 1545 in Germany. The painting is classified as a portrait and measures 61.4 cm in height by 46.0 cm in width.
The panel support and oil medium are consistent with Muelich's practice as a Bavarian Renaissance painter working in Munich, where wooden panels prepared with a chalk ground were the typical substrate for small- and medium-scale portraits of this period. Oil paint allowed for the fine modeling of facial features, textiles, and jewelry characteristic of Muelich's refined courtly style.
History & Provenance
Hans Muelich executed the Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg in 1545. Created in Germany, the work is an oil painting on panel measuring 61.4 cm by 46.0 cm. The piece currently resides in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1944.88.
Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg is an oil painting on panel created in 1545 by Hans Muelich. The work belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded under accession number 1944.88. It is classified as a portrait and was produced in Germany.
Its dimensions measure 61.4 cm in height and 46.0 cm in width. The available documentation does not list any exhibition history for the piece within the provided sources.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Portrait of Maria Kitscher, Frau von Freyberg, was completed by Hans Muelich in 1545. The work depicts a woman of the 16th century, rendered with careful attention to her features and attire. It is currently part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art, serving as an example of German portraiture from the period.
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