In 1909, this picture was not only an inspiration for creative writing in the "School and Home" Magazine, but was also used by the Marmora Fair Board to advertise. But what is the origin of the painting?
A little research pointed us in the right direction, where we found it was an oil painting by Marie Mizzie Wunsch, a painter, born on 17 July 1862 in Gersthof (Weinhaus) in Vienna, and well known for her portraits of children. She studied in Austria and Venice, Italy, but suffered poor health and died at the age of 36, in 1898.
The Original title of the work was "Affectionate Admonishment". However, the painting is also known as "The Conspiritors", "Haensel & Gretel", "Ein Geheimnis" or "Shared Secret".
Below: More works by Marie Mizzie Wunsch
For more on the history of the Marmora Fair,
AND DON'T MISS THIS YEAR'S FAIR
Sept 1, 2 and 3, 2017