Live Auction 6451Works of Art from the Collection of the late Lord Forte & An Interior by Francoise de Pfyffer
Swiss School
Lot 327

Swiss School

Portrait of Elisabeth Pfyffer, half-length, in a black dress with a ruff and a fur-lined headdress, with a jewelled pendant showing the Virgin, holding a book, before a draped curtain

Closed12 July 2012

Price Realised

GBP 750

Considering selling a similar item?

Discover its value with a complimentary estimate from our specialists.

More Information

How to sell

Swiss School
Portrait of Elisabeth Pfyffer, half-length, in a black dress with a ruff and a fur-lined headdress, with a jewelled pendant showing the Virgin, holding a book, before a draped curtain
inscribed 'Bettbuch 211'
oil on canvas, unlined
30¾ x 25 5/8 in. (78.2 x 65.2 cm.)
with monogram '·L·W·P' and identifying inscription and date 'Maria Elisabeth. peifferin. ÆTATIS SVÆ 55 ANNO 1665·' (on the reverse of the unlined canvas), in a gilt frame

Specialist note

The sitter, Maria Elisabeth Pfyffer, wears an elegant black dress and a headdress characteristic of the period. She holds a richly decorated prayer book (a 'Bettbuch', i.e. a 'bed book' for nightly reading) and her robes are adorned with a pendant with an image of the Virgin enclosed in a gold frame, to which a pearl is attached.