Victoriano Codina

VICTORIANO CODINA LANGLIN (Barcelona, 1844 - 1911).
"Portrait with mantilla and comb".
Mixed media on paper.
Signed in the upper right corner.
Measurements: 63 x 36 cm; 80 x 54 cm (frame).

In this portrait a girl is immortalized on a neutral, gray background, to emphasize more the mantilla and the comb that she wears. With her head slightly inclined, she looks at an indeterminate point. This type of portraits were very common in the 19th century, and we can also speak of a relationship with Andalusian costumbrismo by highlighting elements of the typical costume. The magnificent drawing dominates over the coloring, soft to avoid unwanted hallmarks.
Sculptor, painter, decorator and tapestry designer, Codina Langlin lived between Rome, Barcelona, Paris and London. It could be said that he was the only Spanish painter of the 19th century to establish his professional career in London, to the detriment of Rome and Paris. He began his training with Antonio Ferrán, and then continued at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona, under the tutelage of his cousin the sculptor Juan Samsó. He won numerous awards, including the academic pension to continue his studies in Rome, where he attended the Academia Chigi. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and in various English cities, and participated in the Fine Arts Exhibitions of Barcelona and Madrid, as well as carrying out numerous commissions, both public and private, in Spain and England.