Julie, the young countess of Woyna, gazes dreamily into the distance. Friedrich von Amerling has depicted her youthful beauty – she is 21 years old in the picture – with skill. Just as we digitally re-work photos of ourselves today in order to look as good as possible in them, so portrait artists in the 19th century were keen to show their models as favourably as possible. The countess's face is positively radiant, she has rosy cheeks and soft skin. She has plaited and tied up her hair in a fashionable style, she wears delicate jewellery and a tasteful dress with a narrow waist and wide sleeves. The portrait leaves us in no doubt that the countess is a fashion-conscious, affluent woman. It is not only her appearance that tells us this – the red material in the background also hints at it; members of the nobility liked to be painted in front of a red drape – a detail based on the portraits of the leaders of the time. Incidentally, Julie is a very significant figure for the painting collection at the Joanneum museum – she bequeathed it 155 paintings.
