Enrica Bagnati (1884 – 1968) - Ritratto di femminile

Enrica Bagnati (1884-1968) - Female portrait with fur stole and medallion - Circa 1915-1930

Oil painting on an oval-shaped wooden panel, signed at the lower right in red cursive "E. Bagnati", autograph signature attributable to the noted Piedmontese painter and educator Enrica Bagnati (Cameri, 1884 – 1968).
The work depicts an elegant half-length female portrait in a front-facing pose. The figure wears a refined, dark, era-appropriate dress, enhanced around the neck by a fur/feather stole rendered with soft, blended brushstrokes, and completed by a golden chain with a substantial circular pendant hanging down.
The style fully reflects the artist’s training and maturity, close to Lombard-Piedmont Naturalism: a strongly tactile and vibrant rendering, characterized by dense and substantial impastos spread expertly over the wooden support, shaping the volumes of the face through skilled touches of pure light.
At the reverse, the painting presents the original peripheral application of cutouts from period paper posters (with red and yellow graphics), a fascinating material detail.

Technical Details

• Artist: Enrica Bagnati (Cameri, 1884 – 1968)
• Era: Circa 1915-1930 (Italian early 20th century)
• Technique: Oil on panel (wooden support)
• Format: Oval
• Panel dimensions: 51 x 39 cm
• Overall dimensions (including frame): 64 x 52 cm
• Frame: Splendid original oval dark wood frame with concentric grain and gilded inner edge.

Condition Status

The painting is in good overall condition. The paint layer is stable, firmly anchored to the panel, and the colors retain their original brightness. As a natural sign of aging related to minor adjustments of the wooden support, there is a thin, shallow vertical crack line on the neck, which does not in any way compromise the work’s stability. The contemporaneous frame shows light and normal signs of aging.
The work is sold with its original frame, regarded as a gift.