Leopold Carl Müller, Austrian 1834-1892- A man and woman by a doorway; oil on canvas, signed 'L C Muller' (lower left), 40.8 x 30.5 cm. Provenance: The Collection of Jan and Nelly Szibner; Thence by descent. Note: Müller began his artistic...

Leopold Carl Müller,

Austrian 1834-1892-

A man and woman by a doorway;

oil on canvas, signed 'L C Muller' (lower left), 40.8 x 30.5 cm.

Provenance: The Collection of Jan and Nelly Szibner; Thence by descent.

Note: Müller began his artistic training as a pupil of Karl von Blaas (1815-1894) and Christian Ruben (1805-1875) at the Academy in Vienna. In 1867 he travelled to Paris to see the Exposition Universelle and was there inspired by the work of Eugene Fromentin (1820-1876), one of the first European artists to record and paint the landscape and culture of Algeria. This proved to be a turning point in Müller's artistic career as his focus then transitioned to the Orientalist genre. He went on to take inspiration from his travels to Italy and Egypt, first visiting the latter in 1873. He frequently travelled back and forth to Egypt for the rest of his life, sometimes staying for up to six months exploring Cairo, Alexandria and the lands of Upper Egypt, and immersing himself into the local culture. His early visits there often saw him painting studies en plein-air before completing the final compositions in his studio in Vienna, though his increasing priority to capture every detail gradually persuaded him to start painting larger compositions directly from life.

The present work depicts a man leaning over a seated woman with his arm outstretched, against the backdrop of the ruins of a presumably North African building. The dark archway to the right dominates a large space of the composition whilst highlighting the two figures to the left. The man's bright clothing and the woman's glistening bangle and ring stand out from the darker background and highlight the mystery of the interaction.

According to the label attached to the reverse of the frame, the painting was framed in Vienna, presumably either prior to coming into Jan Szibner’s possession or during his ownership of it. It was probably already sold (though not necessarily to Szibner) prior to Müller's death, since it did not feature in the artist’s estate sale in 1893. Alternatively it may have been kept by Müller's sisters Marie and Bertha and then later sold by them. Indeed, the sisters, who were in Vienna until their deaths in the 1930s, were unmarried, without occupations, and after their brother’s death fell into hardship. It is documented that they steadily sold their brother’s paintings that were still in their possession, and it is conceivable, of course, that the present work was one such painting.

Born in 1893 in Budapest to a family of financiers, Jan Szibner chose an alternative career path to his family by enlisting as a soldier. During the First World War, he served on the Eastern Front in the Galicia region (today in Ukraine) where he was injured, but remained in the military even after the war, rapidly rising through the ranks to become General in 1935 and later Lieutenant Field Marshal. Nelly (Eleanor) Szibner, born in 1902, married Jan in 1927. She was a highly regarded actress of the period and performed at the National Theatre in Budapest until the outbreak of the Second World War. At this stage Jan and Nelly Szibner had amassed an impressive collection of art and antiquities principally purchased in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s. During the Second World War, however, Jan was captured and later died as a Prisoner of War in October 1945. The art collection was held by Nelly until her death 10 years later and was then bequeathed to Jan Szibner's three sisters. The children of the youngest sister inherited the items upon her death, which then passed by descent to the present owners.

We are grateful to Dr Peter Jánosi for confirming the authenticity of the work based on a photo.
Relined. The canvas is taut on the stretcher and sits well in the frame. The paint surface is largely stable on the support with some areas of heightened craquelure. Slightly uneven layer of varnish overall. Some marks, minor losses, and overall surface dirt. Under UV lamp, evidence of minor historic retouching to certain spots beneath an old layer of varnish. Some newer retouchings to small areas including to the upper curve of the arch, to spots around the head of the man and one line beneath his shoulder, and a small area beneath the seated woman.