Elise Pinschof Wiedermann

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.'

Born in Vienna in 1851 to Carl and Elise Wiedermann, in 1873 Elise was created laureate of the Conservatorium of Vienna and sang on stages across Europe's major cultural centres, including Zurich, Hamburg, London and Leipzig. Her principal role was the lead in Georges Bizet's opera 'Carmen'. In August 1883, Elise married merchant and honorary consul for Austria-Hungary in Victoria, Carl Ludwig Pinschof, and they became leading patrons of music and art in Melbourne.

This portrait was completed in October 1899 at Roberts' studio at Vickery Chambers in Pitt Street, during a brief visit to Sydney by the Pinschofs, and was the result of 'three short sittings', according to the 'Daily Telegraph'.