Barabás Miklós (1810–1898) köre

Identification of the Painting

• Technique: oil, canvas

• Size: 103 × 84.5 cm

• Period: mid to late 19th century

• Depiction: finely crafted female portrait, seated figure, holding a book, wearing a pink empire/Biedermeier style dress, adorned with gold jewelry. In the background, red drapery and a floral still life, along with a classic landscape fragment.

• Style: Hungarian Biedermeier – academic portrait painting, closely related to typical female portrait representations of the reform era and the period of dualism.

Possible Circle

• The stylistic features of the painting can be associated with Miklós Barabás (1810–1898), who was the most significant Hungarian portrait painter of the era.

• Similar portraits were painted by several of his contemporaries: Orlai Petrics Soma, Károly Brocky, or József Borsos.

• To make an accurate identification, it would be necessary to examine the back (possible label, pencil inscription), as well as to identify the family of the lady depicted in the portrait (if provenance exists).

Possibility of a Historical Figure

Based on the character of the face and the carefully painted details, it is indeed possible that this is not just a simple genre portrait, but rather depicts a member of a well-known bourgeois or noble family. Such portraits often survive as part of family heritage. To identify the lady’s identity, it may be worthwhile to compare family archival materials or old photographs.

Valuation

• Minimum value: 600,000 – 900,000 Ft

• Maximum value: 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 Ft (if the painter or the model's identity can be established)

• Suggested starting price: 700,000 Ft

  
  Portrait of a Young Woman with a Book
  Oil, canvas, 103 × 84.5 cm

The portrait, painted in the Biedermeier style, following the traditions of 19th-century Hungarian portrait painting, depicts an elegant young woman in a pink dress, holding a book. The work is characterized by extremely careful facial rendering, harmonious color scheme, and detailed environment. The identity of the model is currently unknown, but based on her facial features and the depicted clothing, she could even be a historical figure.

Monographic Background and Catalog

• Main representatives of the period: Miklós Barabás, Orlai Petrics Soma, József Borsos, Károly Brocky.

• Digital catalogs: Hungaricana – Picture Gallery, Digital database of the Hungarian National Gallery, as well as the Kieselbach Gallery archive, where many similar portraits can be found.