English school; Last third of the 18th century.

English school; Last third of the eighteenth century.
"Portrait of a lady".
Oil on panel.
Measurements; 26 x 22.5 cm; 39 x 34 cm (frame).
This work is inscribed in the refined cultural and artistic context of Georgian England, a period in which the portrait became one of the main vehicles of social and moral affirmation of high society. During these years, the aristocracy and the enlightened bourgeoisie found in painting not only a medium in keeping with the values of Neoclassicism and enlightened thought.
The work presents the lady portrayed bust-length, with her face in profile, a compositional choice that deliberately refers to the models of classical antiquity. The elegance of the drawing, the softness of the modeling and the expressive restraint reinforce this desire for idealization, typical of neoclassical taste. The iconography suggests that the lady is characterized as a sibyl, a prophetic figure of the classical tradition.