If Photoshop was invented in the XIX century

In those days, when the court ladies could only dream of their own photo shoot, the object of desire of every self-respecting aristocrat was a beautifully painted portrait. It was advantageous to emphasize the advantages and skillfully hide the shortcomings, transferring all the charm of the lady, was not possible for every painter. One of those who masterfully managed to do this was Franz Xaver Winterhalter — a talented artist whose canvases still delight with their unique magic and beauty.

Varvara Dmitrievna Rimskaya-Korsakova, 1864.

Surely almost everyone has at least once in their life seen reproductions or originals of beautiful portraits of persons of noble blood of the XIX century, located in the Hermitage and other equally famous museums and galleries in Europe. They all have one thing in common: the absence of shortcomings. It was this manner of execution that made Winterhalter the most popular court portrait painter.

Princess Victoria, 1867.

After Winterhalter painted a portrait of the Grand Duke Leopold of Baden in 1835, he was appointed his court artist. His international career began with this portrait. The royal and aristocratic families of England, France, Belgium, and Russia tried to order their portraits only from him.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna, 1857.

Despite the huge popularity and demand, this artist was never accepted into the elite of famous painters of his time. Colleagues considered Winterhalter's works too sugary and deliberately embellishing the real faces and proportions of the customers.

Countess Varvara Alekseevna Musina-Pushkin, 1857.

Honing his skills from year to year, Winterhalter could perfectly write the image of the customer, smoothing out the shortcomings, but at the same time preserving an incredible similarity with the original. He did not ignore the ladies ' toilets either. The luxury of velvet, satin, precious stones — all this is perfectly conveyed on canvas.

Ekaterina Branitskaya, Countess Potocka, 1854.

Franz Xaver Winterhalter will always remain the great master of the ceremonial portrait. To date, the artist's skill is no longer in doubt, and his ability to correctly place accents on the merits of appearance and capture amazing beauty on the canvas can only delight.

Elizabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Austria and Hungary, 1864.

Carmen Aguado, Duchesse de Montmorency, 1860.

Alexandra, Princess of Wales, 1864.

Adeline Patti, 1863.

Countess Olga Shuvalova, 1858.