Nanette Rosenzweig, geborene Windisch
Lady with Dark Long Hair in front of Sky
This unusual portrait of a lady in front of a blue cloudy sky was painted by Nanette Rosenzweig, a student of Füger 1 . It seems as if the sitter, whose body is shown in near-profile, has paused for a moment to be captured in a portrait. Her dark long hair and the embroidered black shawl over the white chemise dress emphasize the lady' s face and her incarnate parts. In her left hand she is holding a flower, possibly a violet.The fine muslin of the lady' s chemise dress reveals her left breast, an erotic element which may also serve to express the new ideal of naturalness which encompassed a new relation between body and clothes 2 . For instance, the Journal des Luxus und der Moden (Journal of Luxury and Fashion) from 1797 introduced a gown which left one breast uncovered 3 .
J.S.O.
1 Rosenzweig' s miniatures show only little influence from her teacher and do not reach the quality of his works. Cf. Schidlof 1964, vol. 2, p. 695.
2 The fact that there are many caricatures dealing with the nude fashion of that time suggests that it was considered an offence or irritation. Cf. Rasche/Wolter 2003.
3 "A lady from Frankfurt who has always the latest and most tasteful fashion recently wore a chemise which (...) covered only one breast (...) whereas the other was completely bare. This is a true trace of an amazon in a chemise!" Journal des Luxus und der Moden (Journal of Luxury and Fashion), vol. 12, 1797, p. 160.
