(Vienna 1793–1865 Hinterbrühl)
Girl reading a letter, indistinctly signed, dated Waldmüller 1860,
oil on panel, 51 x 45 cm image size, framed, (Rei) 

Provenance:
Alexander Posonyi, Kunst-Nachlass Ferdinad Georg Waldmüller [Estate sale of the late Ferdinand G. Waldmüller], Vienna 12-15 February 1878, lot 64; Collection of Gottlieb (1845–1914) and Regine Bettelheim (c. 1850–1934);
By inheritance to their daughter Rosa Lemberger (1882–1962) until 1938; Seizure by the Gestapo in 1938;
Restitution to the Lemberger family and transfer to their authorised representative in 1951;
Private Collection, Germany, since 1954.

Catalogued and illustrated in:
Bruno Grimschitz, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Salzburg 1957, CR p. 361, no. 931. Rupert Feuchtmüller, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller. Leben-Schriften-Werke, Vienna 1996, CR p. 519, no. 1016 (with wrong provenance).

In the present lot, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller shows his skills as a master in the orchestration of light: bright daylight falls diagonally from the right into the room, reaching the soft satin of the elegant dress, the texture and colour nuances of which are subtly rendered. The whole interior looks luxurious and colourful. The bright figure of the girl reading a letter stands out against the red and green backdrop with a carpet and table. On the table, red-bound books, a gilt box and fresh flowers glow in grazing light. The young woman’s face is partly in the shade, and is indirectly illuminated by the light reflecting from her bright dress. The viewer can detect curiosity in her eyes and pleasure in her flushed cheeks. Whilst all this remains hidden to the servant in the background who has just brought her the letter. And yet, her mischievous smile suggests that she can probably guess what emotions the letter has caused.