Lola Montez (Montès) was an entertainer and socialite who gained great fame by joining the court of King Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1846, first as his mistress, and then later as the Countess of Nadsfeld and Baroness of Rosenthal. But before going to Germany, she had lived in Paris in the years 1844 – 1845, where she undoubtedly sat for numerous portrait artists.

When comparing Garnier’s lithograph of Lola Montez (after Jules Laure) to this portrait drawing, keeping in mid to flip it horizontally, the resemblance is striking. The lithograph shows her looking away, while the drawing is straight-on, and the hairstyles are somewhat different. But the angle of her face, the delicate features of her straight and narrow nose, her thin but sensous lips, large eyes and dark eyebrows, leaves little doubt that these are the same subjects.

This unique and original work is signed H. Garnier in his typical style in the lower-middle left. Custom framed and ready to hang.