Desperate Housewife

Every curl fits, the dress made from heavy, shimmering silk atlas with the exciting neckline fits perfectly, the cheeks are rosy, the pensive look, the skin soft and translucent. Casually, the painter Therese Wohlgemuth leans back, the brush in one hand, the palette in the other, just as if she were about to complete her imaginary masterpiece on the easel with the next stroke. But would you also wear a white dress made of one of the most expensive fabrics of the time to paint?

The Mainz-born painter Karl Josef Stieler paints Therese in a well-conceived staging that was primarily intended to express her elevated social status. Stieler was THE portraitist of his time and painted the greats of his era, from Beethoven to Goethe. Stieler was held in high esteem as an artist because of his great technical skill and perfection. In Therese's case, Stieler will also have concealed the odd wrinkle. This was entirely in keeping with the taste of the time and satisfied the client.