A magnificent miniature of a young lady called Princess Melanie Metternich (1805-1854), in white dress with voluminous sleeves, wearing a belt with gem-set gold buckle, red embroidered Cashmere shawl draped across her shoulders, pearl earrings, her dark upswept hair dress in ringlets; cloudy sky background

Princess Melanie, née Zichy-Ferraris, Countess of Zich and Vasanykeö, was the third wife of Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich-Winneburg (1773 - 1859). Prince Klemens was a diplomat and Austrian minister of foreign affairs from 1809 to 1848. He chaired the negotiations of the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15 and helped to restore Austria's status as a leading power in European politics. In 1846, he was created a Prince of the Austrian Empire.
Other portraits of Princess Melanie are illustrated in G. Kugler, Staatskanzler Metternich und seine Gäste, Graz, 1991, p. 10, fig. 2 (a miniature by Daffinger), p. 15, fig. 4 (a watercolour by Josef Kriehuber), p. 41, fig. 20 (a watercolour by Daffinger); see also L. Grünstein, Moritz Michael Daffinger und sein Kreis, Vienna/Leipzig, 1923, pl. XXVII.