Carlo Gaudina (1878-1937) - Ritratto di nobildonna - NO RESERVE

CARLO GAUDINA
(Torino, 1878 – 1937)
Portrait of a noblewoman
Oil on canvas, cm. 110 x 85
Signed “C. GAUDINA” at lower left
Frame size, cm. 130 x 110 x 5 approx.

NOTE: Publication catalog of works from the Intermidiart collection. Work signed. Certificate of Guarantee and Legitimate Provenance. Work with gilded frame (defects):

This fine work, signed at the lower left, centers on the female figure between the late 19th century and the early 20th century and can undoubtedly be attributed to the skilled Piedmontese painter Carlo Gaudina (Torino, 1878 - 1937).
The work depicts a noblewoman or a prominent societal figure, and shows meticulous attention to details, such as the sumptuous dress, the jewelry worn (pearl necklace) and accessories (hat with flowers, fan and fur stole).
The woman, in fact, wears an elegant dark dress completed by a sumptuous fur stole laid on the arm. In her hands she holds a precious ostrich feather fan. Around her neck she flaunts a classic and elegant three-strand pearl necklace, a symbol of high social status. The hairstyle is crowned by a broad hat decorated with conspicuous pink roses.
The formal three-quarter pose and the use of a dark, shaded background serve to highlight the figure and the luster of the details (feathers, pearls and facial details), a technique widely used in European bourgeois portraiture of that period.
He studied at the Albertina Academy of Turin with P. C. Gilardi and P. Gaidano. He was the favored pupil of G. Grosso, with whom he collaborated on several occasions, among others in the execution of two large celebratory panoramas for the Bicentennial of the Battle of Turin (1906) and during the maestro’s stays in Argentina. He was a good colorist and draftsman: he mainly executed female figures and portraits of children and successful artists. He also painted in pastel and contributed fresco decorations in the Regio and Carignano theaters in Turin, in the Briona castle in the Novarese, in churches and palaces of the Cunese and the Valsesia.
From a stylistic point of view, the work in question stands out for its expressive depth, accompanied by a romantic and meditative character, not devoid of symbolist suggestions. The compositional setup is particularly significant: the cut of the image and the fusion of chromatic masses, obtained through a quick and vibrant brushstroke, give the whole a notable visual solidity, a quality not always found in Italian painting between the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The work reflects a synthesis between romantic and realist tendencies, enriched by a personal taste that looks with sensitivity to the painting tradition of the past.
Regarding the state of conservation, the painted surface shows a varnish in patina, with svelature and some micro-loss of color. The canvas measures cm. 110 x 85. The painting is enhanced by a gilded frame, of great decorative effect (size approx. cm. 130 x 110 x 5), with defects. "The frame shown in the photos above has been added to the artwork by the seller or by a third party. The frame is provided to you at no additional cost so that it is ready to display as soon as it arrives. The frame is included as a courtesy and is not considered an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, any potential damage to the frame that does not affect the artwork itself will not be accepted as valid grounds for opening a complaint or requesting order cancellation."

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
 Unpublished;
 I MITI E IL TERRITORIO in Sicily with a thousand cultures. UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA general catalog of paintings from the collection of the cycle “The Myths and the Territory,” Publisher Lab_04, Marsala, 2026 (Pdf).

In case of sale outside Italian territory, the buyer must await the processing times for export procedures.