Upper Austria Folk Costume Pair, Antique Hand-Colored Lithographs, Vienna 1825

Upper Austria Folk Costume Pair, Antique Hand-Colored Lithographs, Vienna c.1825

This matching pair of hand-colored lithographs depicts a rural woman and man in traditional folk dress from Upper Austria (Oberösterreich). Issued as companion plates, the figures together present a balanced and authentic view of regional costume and rural life in the Austrian Empire during the early 19th century.

The female figure, titled Bäuerinn aus Ober-Oesterreich (Peasant Woman from Upper Austria), is shown standing in a gently landscaped setting. She wears a fitted dark bodice over a light blouse, a full skirt with apron, and a wide-brimmed hat adorned with ribbons. The costume emphasizes layered textiles and modest ornament, reflecting both practicality and regional identity.

The male figure, titled Bauer aus Ober-Oesterreich (Peasant Man from Upper Austria), is depicted leaning casually against a rock, dressed in knee-length trousers, tall stockings, a decorated waistcoat, and a broad hat. His attire combines functional rural clothing with subtle decorative elements that distinguish local tradition.

Both plates bear the imprint “À Vienne chez T. Mollo et Comp.”, identifying the Viennese publisher active in the first decades of the 19th century. T. Mollo & Comp. issued a number of costume and genre prints during the Biedermeier period, responding to growing contemporary interest in regional dress, folk culture, and ethnographic documentation. While these prints relate closely in style and subject to the broader Viennese costume tradition, including works associated with Trentsensky’s Völkertrachten, they should be attributed specifically to the Mollo firm as publisher.

As a pair, these prints are especially appealing to collectors of Central European folk costume, early ethnographic illustration, and Biedermeier-period decorative prints. They also function beautifully as interior pieces, offering symmetry, narrative balance, and refined historical character when framed together.

Condition report: Original hand coloring. Light age toning and scattered spotting to the margins, consistent with age. Images remain clean, well defined, and visually strong.

Framing suggestions: Best presented as a pair in matching dark wood or black frames with wide ivory or warm off-white mats, allowing generous space around each image for a museum-style presentation.

Technique: Hand-colored lithographs

Maker: Published by T. Mollo & Comp., Vienna, ca. 1825