Portrait of Alfredo Hirsch

Executed in oil, the work reflects de László’s affiliation with Impressionist sensibilities, particularly in the soft handling of light on the face and the delicate modulation of colour in the background. Brushwork remains controlled, preserving the crisp outlines of the suit and tie, yet the atmospheric dark field behind the figure hints at a looser, more painterly approach characteristic of the artist’s later period.

Since its completion, the portrait has been part of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, where it resides in the museum’s permanent collection. The painting entered the museum’s holdings through acquisition in the mid‑twentieth century, aligning with the institution’s efforts to broaden its representation of European portraiture.

De László, a Hungarian-born painter who settled in Britain in 1914, was renowned for his commissions from aristocratic and royal patrons across Europe. By the 1930s he had established a reputation for capturing the likenesses of prominent individuals, and this portrait of Hirsch fits within that broader pattern of elite portrait commissions during the interwar period.