Portrait of a young girl, presumably Elizabheta Zurkow (or Turkow).

Oil on canvas. Signed.

Portrait of a young girl adorned with a pearl necklace. The sitter is depicted frontwise in a three-quarter view, in the realistic style of Kaufmann. It recalls portraits of Viennese high society women of the time.

Reference: G. Tobias Natter, Rabbiner, Bocher, Talmudschüler, Bilder des Wiener Malers, Isidor Kaufmann, 1853-1921. Vienna, 1995.

For comparison, see: Tiroche, Auction 192, September 10, 2023, Lot 93.

Painting: 45.7X37.5 cm. Gilt frame: 69X61.5 cm.

Provenance:

1. Sotheby's, New York, October 24, 1996, Lot 148.

2. Current owner.

Certified by the Art Loss Register (ALR); certificate enclosed.

Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921)
One of the foremost Jewish painters of the 19th century, Isidor Kaufmann was born in Arad, then part of Hungary, and was active in Vienna. Initially working as a clerk, he pursued private studies in painting before enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Kaufmann embarked on extensive journeys through Jewish communities in Poland, Galicia, and Ukraine, capturing the impressions of these encounters in his works. His most significant paintings include portraits of Jewish men and women, Rabbis and Yeshiva students, genre scenes depicting daily life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe, and evocative renderings of synagogues and study halls, characterized by meticulous detail and a vivid palette.