Queen Anne of Hungary and Bohemia
c. 1519
oil on panel
44 x 33 cm
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain
Painting in the late Gothic style, Hans Maler (1480 - 1526/1529) often signed his name Hans Maler zu Schwaz, from his home of Schwaz in the city of Tyrol, Austria. This was near the capital city of Innsbruck, where the Habsburg Court reined, under Ferdinand I, Archduke and later Holy Roman Emperor.
Maler's two most important patrons were Ferdinand I of Austria, who at the time was Archduke (Later Emperor) and the celebrated Fuggers, the wealthy merchant family.
His portraits, under royal and wealthy patronage, were respectable and dignified representations. One could not get a sense of personality from his representation of ruling class subjects; reinforcing their important and status. The style of his composition never strayed from the formal bust sized pose of the sitter, gazing off to the left or right. His skin tones were usually slightly rosy in complex, set against his subjects - decorative costume, often with a bluish background.
Maler died in Schwaz in either 1526, or 1529.
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