The Royal Palace of Gödöllő has acquired an unknown painting of Queen Elizabeth, created by György Raab in 1867. The painting and two other works of art were purchased at the Kaiserhaus auction held by the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna on 12 June.

Depicting Queen Elizabeth in the dress she wore at the Hungarian coronation, the painting cost more than seventy thousand euros, bringing the total acquisition cost to 30 million forints. 

Research into the history and origin of the painting is ongoing, as very little is currently known about it and it was previously unknown to museums and art historians. 

What is known about the artist is that the Austrian painter, also known as Georg Raab, was born in 1821, worked in Budapest from 1842 and became the court painter in Vienna, where he painted members of the royal family several times.

The castle's collection was also expanded with two lithographs

In addition to the painting, the Royal Castle of Gödöllő purchased two lithographs at the Vienna auction. 

One depicts Archduchess Zsófia and features a bracelet on her right arm bearing an image of her son, Franz Joseph, which was a special feature of the work when it was created in 1850. The other lithograph depicts Queen Elisabeth's beloved cousin, Hildegard. 

The castle's collection has grown by more than 500 works of art in the past year, through both purchases and donations.

Source and photos: MTI.hu