Giovanna Chichiniere von Verschaffelt, Gattin des Münchner Hofbildhauers Peter von Verschaffelt

Therbusch employs a soft, luminous palette typical of Rococo portraiture, contrasting the dark background with the illuminated figure. Delicate brushwork renders the texture of the fabric and the sheen of the pearls, while subtle chiaroscuro models the face and hands, creating a sense of immediacy and intimacy.

Created in 1764, the painting remained within the artistic circles of Munich, reflecting the close ties between Therbusch and the courtly environment of the time. It entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it is displayed among other works by German and European portraitists of the period.

Therbusch, a Prussian‑born painter who produced roughly two hundred surviving works, was active in a period when portraiture served both as personal commemoration and as a display of social rank. The depiction of Giovanna aligns with contemporary conventions that highlighted the sitter’s elegance, marital connection to a court artist, and cultivated taste.