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Lot Essay
Conrad Kiesel, German (1846-1921), trained as an architect and sculpture. Executed commissions for Wilhelm II and won an honorarium at the Berlin Academy of Art. The present subject, 'Clementine', is likely a role played by the actress Lola Montez.
The present lot is a portrait of the Irish born Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert (1818-1861) who was also known as 'Lola Montez, the Spanish dancer.' Following her first marriage to Lieutenant Thomas James, she embarked on a career as a dancer and actress. During her extensive travels throughout Europe she had numerous affairs with, amongst others, the composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Romantic novelist Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870).
In 1846 Lola Montez performed in Munich where Ludwig I of Bavaria could not resist her stunning beauty. He offered her a castle, which she duly accepted, and he raised her to Baroness Rosenthal and Countess of Lansfield. She remained his mistress until 1848 when the regime of Ludwig I collapsed and Lola fled to London, then to America and Australia, where she continued to perform.
The present lot is a portrait of the Irish born Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert (1818-1861) who was also known as 'Lola Montez, the Spanish dancer.' Following her first marriage to Lieutenant Thomas James, she embarked on a career as a dancer and actress. During her extensive travels throughout Europe she had numerous affairs with, amongst others, the composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Romantic novelist Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870).
In 1846 Lola Montez performed in Munich where Ludwig I of Bavaria could not resist her stunning beauty. He offered her a castle, which she duly accepted, and he raised her to Baroness Rosenthal and Countess of Lansfield. She remained his mistress until 1848 when the regime of Ludwig I collapsed and Lola fled to London, then to America and Australia, where she continued to perform.