Friedrich August Tischbein (1750–1812), Circle of - Portrait of Diana Rabe von Pappenheim (née Waldner von Freundstein, 1788–1844)

Early 19th-Century (circa 1810), Friedrich August Tischbein (1750–1812), - Circle of.
Portrait of Diana Rabe von Pappenheim (née Waldner von Freundstein, 1788–1844).

An elegant European portrait from the First Empire period, presented in its original oval format and housed in a finely carved, period-accurate gilded frame with traditional bead-and-reel molding.

The composition centers on a three-quarter view of a young woman set against a stark, non-descript dark background that deliberately pushes the subject forward into the light source. The lighting is classical, originating from the upper left, casting a soft, gradual shadow across the right side of the sitter's face and chest.

The subject is rendered with smooth, porcelain skin tones that contrast sharply with her dark, tightly coiled curls. She wears an Empire-line gown in a deep, muted olive green, featuring a low-cut décolletage trimmed with an exceptionally fine, sheer white lace collar. A delicate, long-link gold chain drapes across her shoulder and chest, drawing the eye diagonally across the lower half of the canvas.

A highly distinctive feature of the portrait is the elaborate hair ornament or turban-style headdress. It combines a vibrant scarlet red silk or velvet fabric with cream-colored silk bands, finished with long, tiered gold-thread tassels that frame the side of her face.

Dating to circa 1810, this mature work is attributed to the German Classicist portraitist Friedrich August Tischbein (1750–1812), known as the “Leipzig Tischbein.” The painting aligns with his documented approach to female aristocracy, focusing on formal dignity and anatomical accuracy rather than idealized templates. The canvas exhibits the painter's characteristic technical execution, visible in the structured transparency of the lace collar—built up through thin, overlapping glaze layers—and the gradual, precise transitions within the skin tones. Additionally, the restrained color palette, which balances the crimson headpiece against the deep olive Empire gown, corresponds directly with Tischbein’s established compositional framework for his portraits from the Weimar and Westphalian courts.

Technique: Oil on canvas.
Format: Oval, approx. 52,5 x 42,5 cm
Frame: Period-gilt wood and composition frame
Condition : the painting exhibits a fine, even, and historically authentic age-related craquelure (network of fine cracks), which is primarily visible in the lighter flesh tones. This craquelure is stable and does not tend to flare up. Somewhat old, restored.

Provenance: private collection from Northern France.