Painting

The subject is a middle-aged woman in an ochre- coloured dress embroidered with white flowers. The waist fastens with buckles and ribbons. The waist, the apron and the corset-bodice tied with two pairs of ribbons on the sleeves, are trimmed with lace. On the sleeves and the neck are strings of pearls on the neck-band is a cross-pendant. On the breast is a pendant. The head-dress is richly embroidered with pearls. Her right hand lies on a table covered with blue drapery in her left hand is a leafy branch. On the table is a painted fan, white gloves and a watch. The background is table greenish-brown, with the family coat-of-arms of the Radvanszky's above, on the left. The picture painted for the family gallery is characterized by warm colours and chiaroscuro. The slightly fragmented portrayal is a traditional solution of 17th century, portrait-technique. The talented local painter with a conservative approach might have been the member of a guild of one of the towns of Szepesseg. David Spielenberger was active in the Szepesseg as a Lutheran pastor. The father of Fruzsina Radvanszky, Janos Radvanszky was an important literary figure of the nobility at the end of the 17th century, who had joined Ferenc Rakoczi II as Deputy-Lieutenant of the county Zolyom at first he acted as his treasurer, and later as court counsellor.