Italian school; first half of the 18th century.

Italian school; first half of the eighteenth century.
"Portrait of a queen".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents label of the Board of Seizure and Protection of Artistic Heritage.
It has a frame of the nineteenth century.
Measurements: 83 x 64 cm; 93 x 74 cm (frame).
A work that shows a refined decorative sense, a feature that defined the aristocratic portrait of the eighteenth century. The figure appears wrapped in a sober, almost neutral environment, which allows to focus the attention on the effigy and the richness of the symbolic elements that accompany it. Her frontal posture and the serenity of the gesture respond to the courtly canon of the time, where dignity and emotional restraint were essential qualities for the public projection of royalty.
The style reveals a balanced synthesis between the Baroque legacy and the earliest Rococo tendencies. The Baroque interest in the volumetric modeling of the face persists, achieved through soft light transitions that provide a tangible and close presence; however, the treatment of the fabrics and the softness of the palette announce a lighter and more decorative taste. Particularly notable is the representation of the ermine and red velvet cloak, whose tactile density and enveloping movement endow the figure with an aura of magnificence. The artist shows great skill in suggesting the softness of the fur and the deep sheen of the velvet, making the attire reinforce the royal status of the sitter.