Italian school (XIX) - Giovani donne in preghiera - XL format

This oil painting has been restored and relined, and the canvas has been cleaned.
An oil painting depicting a group of young women or girls in prayer.
At the center of the composition, a girl with long brown hair is kneeling in profile, facing left. She is wearing a pristine white dress with puffed sleeves, her hands clasped in prayer and her gaze turned upward in a devout expression.
Beside her, other figures can be seen:
A girl on the left, slightly in shadow, is holding a small open book, probably a missal or prayer book.
• In the background, several other women watch the scene; one of them has her face covered by a dark veil and her hands, suggesting a moment of profound emotion.
• In the foreground, on the floor, lie a small red book and a rosary.
The work evokes the figurative style of the late 19th or early 20th century, with particular attention to the way light falls on the white fabrics, reminiscent of the tonal explorations of artists such as James Abbott McNeill Whistler in his “Symphonies in White.” However, the religious theme and composition suggest the work of an artist specializing in genre scenes or sacred subjects, such as Francesco Valaperta or other painters active between Italy and France during that period.