Scuola Italiana (XIX), da Abraham Constantin - La Fornarina

Italian School of the 19th Century

“La Fornarina”

Copy by Abraham Constantin (1785–1855)

Portrait of a young woman with pearls and fur
First half / mid-19th century
Oil on canvas

Frame: Important neoclassical carved and gilded wooden frame, with continuous decoration of palmettes and foliate motifs; 19th century.

Measurements: 51 x 44 cm in an era frame
36 x 28.5 cm canvas

Description

The painting depicts a half-length young woman, slightly turned to the observer and characterized by a poised, delicately smiling expression. The face, oval in shape, emerges brightly from the dark background, following a construction intentionally inspired by Renaissance portraiture.

The young woman wears a light dress with a wide rectangular neckline, edged in black and adorned with delicate gold decorations. A blue-gray mantle envelops the left arm, while on the opposite side appears a brown fur element, held by the hand. The hairstyle is especially refined: dark hair is gathered and adorned with numerous pearls, echoed by small drop earrings.

The nearly uniform background concentrates attention entirely on the figure and gives the portrait that suspended, idealized quality typical of nineteenth-century reinterpretations of Renaissance painting.

Style and period

The work presents a neoclassical and neo-Renaissance language, with evident interest in Raphael and Italian sixteenth-century portraiture. The regular contour of the face, the smooth complexion, the controlled elegance of the pose, and the accurate description of the pearls are perfectly consistent with the taste developed in the early decades of the 19th century.

The connection with Constantin is particularly interesting because his activity was closely linked to the reproduction of the great Renaissance masters. It is documented, for example, his Portrait of Raphael from 1823, while his Fornarina of the same year is preserved at the Galleria Sabauda.

Condition report

The painting is in a fair general state of preservation, with aging phenomena coherent with a nineteenth-century work. The painted surface shows widespread and fairly regular craquelure, particularly evident on the face, the décolleté skin, and lighter areas. Some surface inconsistencies, abrasions and small signs of wear are also observable.

Photos of the back show that the canvas is currently mounted on a wooden stretcher and inserted into a wider frame structure. Strips of canvas have been applied to the back along the sides, presumably related to previous consolidation or adaptation interventions. The photographic documentation, however, does not allow us to determine with certainty whether the canvas has been completely re-lined.

The frame, particularly interesting, is in carved and gilded wood, characterized by a sequence of palmette/ stylized leaf elements in a neoclassical taste. It shows widespread abrasions, oxidation and gilding alterations, small lifts and cracks at the angular joints, without any evidence of major structural damage from the photographs.

*** Note on photographs

Some of the photographs accompanying this sheet were professionally produced using controlled artificial lighting, with the use of a studio spotlight, in order to ensure better legibility of the work and allow for a more precise observation of the painting surface, figurative details and color.

Note on the frame:

The frame is supplied as part of the work as a courtesy and does not constitute an essential part of the sale. Any imperfections, missing parts or damages to the frame, even stemming from transport, cannot therefore be grounds for dispute or claim for compensation regarding the work.

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