112224

VERSO 

Preparatory work

The Kupelwieser Family c. 1904

Bertha, Ida and Paula seated on a settee, with Carl and Hans standing behind

Oil on board, 96.5 x 71.1 cm (38 x 28 in.)

Private Collection

The Kupelwiesers were a prominent family of Austrian industrialists whom de László probably became acquainted with in 1902. From 1903 to 1907 de László was living in Vienna, and throughout that time was working on this family group, the largest and most complex surviving commission he had carried out until then.^[1] The final version, a very large painting [10429], was completed in 1907, the year de László and his family moved to London.

The composition of the final portrait is somewhat different to that of the present oil sketch, in that Ida, the Kupelwiesers’ eldest daughter, seated here on the left, is standing beside her brother behind the settee in the final version.

There exist a number of preparatory works for the composition and portrait drawings of individual members the family made in preparation. Most of those remained in the artist’s possession on his death, but some were later destroyed.  

For a full account of the Kupelwieser group portrait and the associated studies see [10429].

CWS 2014