Portrait of Teresa Potocka née Ossolińska with uncle Alfred 

Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder painted this portrait of Teresa Potocka with her uncle Alfred, capturing a study in contrasts through composition and color. Teresa, draped in pale fabrics with a soft, diffused light on her face, stands adjacent to Alfred, whose brighter, more defined features are set against a dark background. Lampi uses diagonal lines to guide our eyes—from Teresa’s gaze towards the upper left to Alfred’s downward glance, creating a visual pull that engages the viewer. The differing textures of the fabrics, from the smooth, almost translucent quality of Teresa’s gown to the heavier drape of the lower blue wrap, signal a divergence in status and presentation. The artist employs a semiotic language through color and light to subtly convey power dynamics and emotional states. The muted tones and gentle light around Teresa create a sense of calm, while the sharper contrast around Alfred suggests a more active, perhaps urgent, presence. This contrast might be read as challenging fixed societal roles, subtly questioning the expected norms through visual representation.