Attributed to Philippe-Jacques Van Bree

Attributed to PHILIPPE-JACQUES VAN BREE (Belgium, 1786- 1871).
"Female portrait".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 65 x 55 cm; 96 x 86 cm (frame).
This painting represents a woman in a melancholic or reflective attitude, with her head inclined and a hand resting on her forehead, a gesture that suggests regret, tiredness or sadness. She is wrapped in a white cloth that partially covers her braided dark hair, and wears clothes of soft tones with a touch of red that adds drama to the scene. The warm lighting highlights the face and hand, creating a strong contrast with the dark background, typical of 19th century academic and romantic painting. The work is aesthetically reminiscent of the style of Philippe-Jacques van Bree.
Philippe-Jacques van Bree was a Belgian painter who specialized in historical painting, genre scenes and orientalist themes. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he continued his studies in Paris in the workshop of Anne-Louis Girodet, before making numerous stays in Italy. He settled permanently in Brussels in 1834. His works are preserved in numerous museums in Belgium and France, including the Louvre Museum.
Philippe-Jacques van Bree was born in Antwerp in 1786, the son of André Jacques Van Brée (1747-1809), a decorative painter, and Anne Catherine Ooms (1747-1808). He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he coincided with his brother Mathieu-Ignace, who was a professor at the institution. In 1811 he moved to Paris, where he worked with his brother in the workshop of Anne-Louis Girodet. In 1816 he traveled to Rome and worked for several years in Pavia. From 1818 to 1821 he resided again in Paris.
After several stays in Rome (from 1821 to 1832), Naples (1826) and Florence (1829), he settled permanently in 1834 in Brussels, in rue de l'Évêque, where he worked within the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. In Belgium, however, he occupied a secondary place, ceasing to exhibit in the triennial salons from 1836 and devoting himself to the production of small paintings of genre scenes in Italian and Orientalist style, inspired by his long travels abroad.