The only biological daughter of Franz von Stuck, Mary was the result of a love affair with Anna Maria Brandmaier (1875-1944), a waitress at Café Luitpold who also posed as model for the painting “Sin”. In the absence of children from Stuck’s 1897 marriage to the wealthy widow Mary Lindpainter (1865-1929), the couple obtained the right to adopt Mary from Prince Regent Luitpold. Stuck painted portraits of his cherished daughter throughout his entire artistic career. Among other works, Mary is represented in the painted ceiling of the Villa Stuck music room featuring a starry night sky. In 1917, Mary married Albert Heilmann of the Heilmann & Littmann construction company, which had built both the Stuck’s villa and the “New Studio” in the period 1914-15. With Stuck devoting his attention primarily to his grandchildren after his daughter’s marriage, our painting is one of the last portraits of Mary. Created at the beginning of her married life, it marks a significant turning point in the relationship between father and daughter. In this portrait, the typically young, playful child portrayed in fancy dress has become a young adult. Playing with his own unmistakable Symbolist pathos, Stuck shows his daughter in a demure yet self-assured poise. Mary is seen reclining over the armrest of a red chair, which the artist himself had designed for the furnishings of the Villa Stuck and which also appears in other portraits of women. Her engagement ring is clearly visible on her elegantly poised hand. Mary’s forward-leaning stance creates a sense of space that is quite unusual for Stuck. As a whole, the general composition gives the impression of a moment in time. The chance discovery of an exceptionally large collection of photographs during a review of the estate in the cellar of the Villa Stuck in 1968 revealed that Stuck actually used photographs, mostly taken by himself or his wife Mary, as models for his portraits. Further paper prints and sketches give an indication how the artist worked directly with the photographs. Even the great painters of his time, for instance Degas and Manet in France, used photography as a tool. Despite these useful tools, however, Stuck focused on artistic elegance and decorative effect rather than the precise photorealistic portrayal of his models. In this simple half-profile view of Mary, he achieves this by foregoing any complicated details, thus creating room for a soft, almost sweet harmony. Following a Symbolist-mythic approach, Stuck has his daughter emerge dramatically into a serene twilight, coming into view from a dark background that almost merges with her hat. [CS]