Where can I see Maria Anna, Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Max III. Joseph von Bayern?

Maria Anna, Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Max III. Joseph von Bayern is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Maria Anna, Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Max III. Joseph von Bayern?

Maria Anna, Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Max III. Joseph von Bayern is associated with Rococo painting.

Artwork

Maria Anna, Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Max III. Joseph von Bayern

Maria Anna, Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Max III. Joseph von Bayern is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Georg Desmarées. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Overview

Georg Desmarées painted this oil portrait around 1750. The work depicts a woman in a dark lace shawl and low‑necked dress, set against a deep, muted background that isolates the figure. The painting is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is identified as Maria Anna, the wife of Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria. She is shown with her hair pulled back and a modest floral ornament atop her head, her gaze directed slightly downward, conveying a restrained, courtly demeanor typical of aristocratic portraiture in the mid‑eighteenth century.

Technique & Style

Desmarées employed a refined oil technique, using delicate brushwork to render the lace shawl’s texture and the soft pallor of the sitter’s skin. The dark, almost tenebristic background creates a chiaroscuro effect that emphasizes the luminous fabrics and the subtle modeling of the face.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1750, the portrait entered the holdings of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Desmarées has been consistently accepted by scholars, and the work has been documented in the museum’s catalogues since the nineteenth century.