2/internal/media/dispatcher/9025/fullThe Wedding of King Alfred the Great of England1835[Sigmund Ferdinand von Perger]Sigmund Ferdinand von PergerOil on woodVenerated as a saint after her death, Ealhswith (c. 852–902) certainly appears saintly here as she stands on a podium, facing the crowd of people—all we see is their heads—with her hands crossed in front of her body. She seems to be indicating toward the future Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great (848/49–99) she has just married. Alfred holds a transparent veil above Ealhswith and is about to drape this over his wife so she is covered but still visible to the people. Why Perger chose to paint this scene from ancient English history is not known. He must, however, have been acquainted with John Fitchett’s epic poem King Alfred, which was first published in instalments between 1804 and 1834.Paintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/10046/rdf/internal/media/dispatcher/12107/fullBarge Hauler1831[Sigmund Ferdinand von Perger]Sigmund Ferdinand von PergerOil on woodPaintinghttps://sammlungtest.belvedere.at/objects/2351/rdf