Count Giacomo Durazzo and Ernestine Aloisia Ungnad von Weissenwolff - Martin van Meytens the Younger

A refined Rococo double portrait by Martin van Meytens the Younger, depicting Count Giacomo Durazzo and his wife in a woodland setting.

This double portrait by Martin van Meytens the Younger depicts Count Giacomo Durazzo and his wife, Ernestine Aloisia Ungnad von Weissenwolff. Meytens, who served as the court painter to Empress Maria Theresa in Vienna, was highly regarded for his ability to capture the aristocratic fashions and social standing of the mid-eighteenth-century European elite. The work is a fine example of the Rococo style, characterised by its light, airy atmosphere and attention to the textures of silk, lace, and velvet.

The composition places the couple in a woodland setting, a common convention for aristocratic portraiture of the period. The Count is dressed in a red hunting coat with gold embroidery, his posture relaxed as he holds a small dog. Beside him, the Countess wears a voluminous blue gown with an elaborate lace underskirt. Her pose is graceful, and she holds a string that connects to the small dog, creating a visual link between the two figures. A straw hat rests on a rock nearby, adding a touch of informal charm to the scene.

In the foreground, a hunting dog stands over game birds, referencing the Count's status and leisure activities. The background features a soft, painterly treatment of trees and foliage, which provides a sense of depth without distracting from the sitters. Meytens demonstrates his technical skill through the precise rendering of the fabrics and the subtle play of light across the figures. The painting functions as a record of the couple's identity and their place within the social hierarchy of the Habsburg court. The colour palette is balanced, with the bold red of the Count's coat providing a contrast to the cooler blue tones of the Countess's dress. This work remains a representative example of the formal portraiture produced in Vienna during the mid-eighteenth century.