Spanish school (XIX) - Ritratto antropomorfo
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Selected by Giulia Santoro
Specialised in 17th century Old Master paintings and drawings with auction house experience.
Estimate € 1,800 - € 2,200
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Ritratto antropomorfo, an oil on canvas portrait by the Spanish school of the 19th century (1850), Spain, 70 × 58.5 cm, with frame.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
19th-Century Spanish School
Anthropomorphic portrait
Oil on canvas, period 1800–1850
Presentation of the painting
The painting depicts an anthropomorphic portrait of a dog, probably a bulldog or a small mastiff, shown with a solemn bearing and dressed according to Renaissance or late 16th-century fashion. The animal wears a sumptuous red damask suit, enriched by a white ruff and a long chain with a pendant, elements typical of official noble portraiture.
The pose, strongly theatrical, recalls the models of the status portrait: one hand rests on the chest in a gesture of dignity and self-awareness, while the other holds a fan or a ceremonial object. The animal's face, rendered with extraordinary naturalistic attention, retains a melancholic and interrogative expression that intensifies the sense of estrangement.
The background is split between an open landscape and a dark drapery, a classic solution that harks back to official painting between the Cinquecento and Seicento, and that helps place the figure in a sphere of power and representation. The rendering of fabrics, embroidery, and painted surfaces, however, suggests an eighteenth/nineteenth-century realization, when the rediscovery of ancient painting often intertwined with a taste for learned caricature and moral allegory.
The work fits into an iconographic tradition that uses the anthropomorphized animal as a satirical mirror of society. The dog, an ambivalent symbol of loyalty, obedience but also of attachment to power, becomes here the protagonist of a refined visual irony: the nobility of the portrait is at once celebrated and called into question.
Overall, the painting appears as a perceptive play between the past and parody, capable of fusing technical skill, historical quotation, and a subtle critique of social codes. A work that engages in dialogue with the European painting tradition and that invites the observer to reflect on the boundary – always unstable – between identity, representation, and mask.
Measurements: 70 x 58.5 cm in a contemporaneous frame.
Canvas: 60 x 50 cm
From a private collection
Condition: Good, with normal signs of aging.
* The included frame is attached as a complimentary gift.
Ideal for collecting and investing.
With a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law - Expertise
Professional packaging and insured shipping.
Seller's Story
Magnolia Arte is a company that deals with the buying and selling of artworks. Each piece is carefully selected for its artistic quality and emotional impact. In fact, Magnolia Arte believes that every work of art is a piece of cultural history, useful for understanding our present. The economic value and investment are considered secondary aspects compared to artistic and historical-cultural value. Magnolia Arte is a reference point for the auction sale of ancient, modern, and contemporary art. Magnolia is a place of art. Art enthusiasts will find professionalism and expertise here.
Translated by Google Translate19th-Century Spanish School
Anthropomorphic portrait
Oil on canvas, period 1800–1850
Presentation of the painting
The painting depicts an anthropomorphic portrait of a dog, probably a bulldog or a small mastiff, shown with a solemn bearing and dressed according to Renaissance or late 16th-century fashion. The animal wears a sumptuous red damask suit, enriched by a white ruff and a long chain with a pendant, elements typical of official noble portraiture.
The pose, strongly theatrical, recalls the models of the status portrait: one hand rests on the chest in a gesture of dignity and self-awareness, while the other holds a fan or a ceremonial object. The animal's face, rendered with extraordinary naturalistic attention, retains a melancholic and interrogative expression that intensifies the sense of estrangement.
The background is split between an open landscape and a dark drapery, a classic solution that harks back to official painting between the Cinquecento and Seicento, and that helps place the figure in a sphere of power and representation. The rendering of fabrics, embroidery, and painted surfaces, however, suggests an eighteenth/nineteenth-century realization, when the rediscovery of ancient painting often intertwined with a taste for learned caricature and moral allegory.
The work fits into an iconographic tradition that uses the anthropomorphized animal as a satirical mirror of society. The dog, an ambivalent symbol of loyalty, obedience but also of attachment to power, becomes here the protagonist of a refined visual irony: the nobility of the portrait is at once celebrated and called into question.
Overall, the painting appears as a perceptive play between the past and parody, capable of fusing technical skill, historical quotation, and a subtle critique of social codes. A work that engages in dialogue with the European painting tradition and that invites the observer to reflect on the boundary – always unstable – between identity, representation, and mask.
Measurements: 70 x 58.5 cm in a contemporaneous frame.
Canvas: 60 x 50 cm
From a private collection
Condition: Good, with normal signs of aging.
* The included frame is attached as a complimentary gift.
Ideal for collecting and investing.
With a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law - Expertise
Professional packaging and insured shipping.
Seller's Story
Magnolia Arte is a company that deals with the buying and selling of artworks. Each piece is carefully selected for its artistic quality and emotional impact. In fact, Magnolia Arte believes that every work of art is a piece of cultural history, useful for understanding our present. The economic value and investment are considered secondary aspects compared to artistic and historical-cultural value. Magnolia Arte is a reference point for the auction sale of ancient, modern, and contemporary art. Magnolia is a place of art. Art enthusiasts will find professionalism and expertise here.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Spanish school (XIX)
Sold with frame
Yes
Title of artwork
Ritratto antropomorfo
Technique
Oil painting
Signature
Not signed
Country of Origin
Spain
Year
1850
Condition
Good condition
Height
70 cm
Width
58.5 cm
Period
19th century
Sold by
