Catch the Moment

This bust portrait is a companion to that of the sitter´s husband (P02183). Shown at somewhat less than half- length, she wears a white, Nordic-style cap and a severely cut dress, and holds a white carnation in her right hand. According to an inscription in the upper part of the work she is twenty-eight. By placing her over a background that simulates a wooden surface, Amberger achieves an effectively realistic sense of space, displaying his skill as a portrait painter. This work was first listed in 1746 as part of Queen Isabel Farnesio´s collection.

Portrayed at less than half-length, the sitter wears a large cap and clothing with a fur collar in the northern style. He holds a carnation in his hands, with a signet ring whose coat of arms consists of a crossed ax and scythe. That coat of arms on his ring confirms that he is a member of the Zörer family, but his identification with the goldsmith, Jorg Zörer, is uncertain. The inscription at the bottom confirms that it was painted when the sitter was forty-one years old. In this work, which is paired with a portrait of the sitter´s wife (P02184), Amberger endows the personage with a serene placidity that contrasts with the severity of traditional Germanic portraiture, although it is in keeping with its capacity to reflect the sitter´s psychological state. This painting was listed among those belonging to Queen Isabel Farnesio in 1746

The Prado Museum, officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. Wikipedia