Louise Pinschof

For three days at the end of June 1900, Tom Roberts held an exhibition of pastel portraits at the Old Court Studios on Swanston Street in Melbourne. The site of the former Police Court House, for over a decade the room provided an exhibition venue for artists. The building was demolished in 1909.

'The Australasian' newspaper noted:

'Mr Tom Roberts gave a private view of pastel portraits at the Old Court studio, Swanston-street, last week. The pictures included likenesses of Madame Wiedemann [sic] and her three children.'

'The Herald' newspaper singled out this portrait of Louise Pinschof—the young daughter of Viennese-born soprano Elise Wiedermann and her husband, merchant and honorary consul for Austria-Hungary in Victoria, Carl Ludwig Pinschof:

'Especially prominent are four fine examples of his skill in the treatment of pastel portraiture, a medium which, successfully treated as it has been by this artist, should shortly come into favor. The first, Olive, shows a girl's face, delightfully soft and round, and standing out well from a grey background. Next on the line is another attractive picture, Louise, in which the effect is heightened by the unconventional nature of the pose'.