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Moritz Stifter
1857-1905 | Austrian
Through the Keyhole
Oil on board
Signed “M Stifter” (lower left)
A young lady combs her hair before a full-length mirror in this captivating painting by the Austrian genre painter Moritz Stifter. Viewed as though through a keyhole thanks to the figural frame, this enticing work offers a glimpse of this barely dressed beauty in a state of dishabille, making an unintentional voyeur of the viewer.
Keyhole paintings such as this developed in response to the repressive atmosphere of Victorian society. Thanks in part to the dominance of Evangelical Christianity and partly to Queen Victoria herself, the Victorian relationship with the nude body was one of anxiety and repression. Thus, this era of strict and correct social behavior produced many different forms of highly coded erotica, of which notorious “keyhole paintings” are but one.
Known for his paintings of young women in exotic locales and unconventional situations, Moritz Stifter took the sensual aspects of Orientalism and applied them to everyday life, finding intrigue and innuendo in even the most innocent of scenes. Born in 1857, he remains a highly collected artist.
Circa 1890
Board: 19" high x 12 1/2" wide
Frame: 31 3/8" high x 21 3/8" wide
1857-1905 | Austrian
Through the Keyhole
Oil on board
Signed “M Stifter” (lower left)
A young lady combs her hair before a full-length mirror in this captivating painting by the Austrian genre painter Moritz Stifter. Viewed as though through a keyhole thanks to the figural frame, this enticing work offers a glimpse of this barely dressed beauty in a state of dishabille, making an unintentional voyeur of the viewer.
Keyhole paintings such as this developed in response to the repressive atmosphere of Victorian society. Thanks in part to the dominance of Evangelical Christianity and partly to Queen Victoria herself, the Victorian relationship with the nude body was one of anxiety and repression. Thus, this era of strict and correct social behavior produced many different forms of highly coded erotica, of which notorious “keyhole paintings” are but one.
Known for his paintings of young women in exotic locales and unconventional situations, Moritz Stifter took the sensual aspects of Orientalism and applied them to everyday life, finding intrigue and innuendo in even the most innocent of scenes. Born in 1857, he remains a highly collected artist.
Circa 1890
Board: 19" high x 12 1/2" wide
Frame: 31 3/8" high x 21 3/8" wide
specifications
| Framed: | 21 3/8"W x 31 3/8"H |
| Unframed: | 12 1/2"W x 19"H |
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | Austria |
| Subject: | Genre |
| Width: | 21 3/8 Inches |
| Height: | 31 3/8 Inches |
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