A Life in Vienna

Born in Vienna on 10 July 1847, Marie Müller entered a family where the brush and the lithographer's tool were common instruments. Her father, Leopold Müller, worked as a surveyor before turning to lithography, while her siblings also found their way into the arts. Alongside her sister Bertha, Marie navigated an upbringing shaped by the creative energy of her brother, the Orientalist painter Leopold Carl Müller. This familial connection provided both a foundation and a workspace, as she spent ten years working within her brother's studios at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Her formal training began in 1872 with preparatory figure drawing classes at the Kunstgewerbeschule. She later sought private instruction from Ferdinand Laufberger, a period of study that lasted until 1880. These early years were marked by a steady accumulation of technical skill, moving from the structured environment of the academy to the more personal atmosphere of private lessons. In 1883, she accompanied her brother to Cairo, an experience that brought new subjects to her palette as she painted interiors and portraits in Egypt.

The Art of the Portrait

Müller’s practice was defined by a focus on portraiture, miniatures, and genre painting. Her first public appearance in the art world occurred in 1886 at the Vienna Künstlerhaus, where she presented seven portraits to the public. She continued to exhibit there annually, establishing a presence in the Viennese art scene that lasted for decades. Her work often captured the likenesses of notable figures, such as the novelist Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, with whom she maintained a personal correspondence.

The subjects of her work ranged from the intimate to the culturally specific. Some of her known works include:

• Orientale mit weißem Kaftan und gelbem Turban, currently held in the Belvedere museum, Vienna
• A portrait of Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
• Neapolitan Boy

Beyond the individual face, she explored figure and still life painting. Her studio life was shared closely with Bertha; together, they inherited the studio of August von Pettenkofen in 1890, occupying the space until their eviction in 1902.

Advocacy and Later Years

Around 1900, Müller became a founding member of Acht Künstlerinnen, an initiative designed to increase the visibility of female artists. This group included figures such as Olga Wisinger-Florian and Marie Egner, working toward the goal of making women's art more accessible to the public through exhibitions at the Salon Pisko.

The later years of her life were marked by the economic shifts of the post-war period. The era of hyperinflation brought significant financial hardship to both her and Bertha. In her final decade, she turned her attention to managing the legacy of her brother, acting as an agent for Leopold's works from 1925 until 1931. She organized a memorial exhibition for him in 1932, the same year she sold her correspondence with Ebner-Eschenbach to the Vienna State Library. Marie Müller died in Vienna on 21 March 1935.