Hans Makart was an Austrian painter and decorative artist. He influenced the prestigious interior decorations of the showcase buildings on the new Ring Road in Vienna.
Her challenging look and her posture show the self-assurance of Makart's first wife, Amalie Roithmayr. Daughter of a Munich butcher, she rose to the upper echelons of Viennese society. Vivid expressiveness, abruptly changing effects and the "nonfinito" character constitute the special appeal of this portrait. Makart frequently used Amalie as a model for his prestigious paintings.