Atelier Adèle (active Vienna, 1862 - 1905)
Amalie Materna, 1888
Albumen print, 32.3 x 19.2 cm (12 11/16 x 7 9/16 in.)
This vertical sepia photograph shows Amalie Materna, a light skinned woman, standing in the center of the frame with her body facing slightly to our right and her head looking to our left. There is a neutral expression on her face. She is wearing a full length, light colored detailed gown with dark fabric accents. The sleeves are short with fringes on her shoulders. The bust is fitted with crossing dark trim at the neckline through the waist. The skirt becomes fuller with dark panels and light fabric bows on either side. The train of the dress extends to our left. Her dark hair is pinned up with a white accessory. She is wearing a short pearl necklace, sheer gloves, bracelets and rings. She stands with her hands held together. In the background to our left, there is a short table with an intricate metal box on it. To our right there is floral fabric with a fur border draped on the back of a chair. We also see a short palm tree peeking behind the chair. The back of the photograph shows a combination of diagonal cursive handwritten inscriptions and printed words along with a small ornate crest stamp off center to the left.
Yellow Room
Commentary
As a celebrated performer of numerous works by Richard Wagner (1813-1888), Austrian soprano Amalie Materna (1844-1918) earned acclaim for her role as Brunnhilde in the Ring Cycle. Gardner was captivated by Materna’s 1888 performance at Bayreuth, the summer musical festival dedicated to Wagner, and followed the singer to an all-night singing party at the composer’s home afterward. A dedicated fan, Gardner collected several photographs of Materna during subsequent pilgrimages to Bayreuth in the 1890s.