Karl Schorn (?)
Woman in a Blue Dress, first half of the 19th century
oil on canvas
66 × 53 cm
MG-2003

Among the Biedermeier portrait collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Woman in a Blue Dress (MG-2003) stands out as an especially remarkable work. The sitter is portrayed seated on a simple Biedermeier chair with a semi-circular backrest, her hands folded in her lap. Her hair is smoothly parted in the middle and gathered into a bun, reflecting the restrained elegance of the period. The artist demonstrates exceptional skill in rendering the rich blue drapery of the dress, whose vibrant tones echo the light blue of the sitter's expressive eyes. Equally noteworthy is the refined depiction of her jewellery and the delicately painted leafy branches with rosy-pink blossoms rising along the right edge of the composition.
According to the National Museum of Modern Art's inventory records, the painting was acquired from a private owner for 12,500 dinars following a decision of the Gallery Committee on 22 February 1951.
As part of a collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb, coordinated by Petra Kursar, M.A., Head of the Museum's Conservation and Restoration Department, the painting underwent extensive conservation and restoration by conservator-restorer Iva Galijan. The treatment, carried out over the course of a year as the practical component of her graduate thesis under the supervision of Tamara Ukrainčik, M.A., included the removal of surface grime and aged varnish. During this process, the signature Schorn was uncovered.
Based on this discovery, Galijan proposed that the painting may be attributed to the German Neoclassical and Biedermeier painter Karl Schorn (1803–1850). This attribution appears plausible when the stylistic characteristics of Woman in a Blue Dress are compared with Schorn's authenticated works, particularly in the delicate treatment of the female figure and the refined sensitivity of its execution.

Text: Ivana Rončević Elezović, PhD, Museum Adviser at the National Museum of Modern Art
Photo Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb