Eugenio Cecconi, Seated Figure, 1842, Oil on Panel, Framed

Details

Description

Dimensions: 39 x 44 cm including frame, 12.5 x 17 cm panel

Technique: Oil on panel

Period: Late 19th Century
… Read more Dimensions: 39 x 44 cm including frame, 12.5 x 17 cm panel

Technique: Oil on panel

Period: Late 19th Century
of the Work

A fascinating oil painting on panel by the Livorno-born painter Eugenio Cecconi (1842-1903), a renowned exponent of the Macchiaioli movement and a tireless traveler.

The work features a seated figure, presumably a woman, portrayed in profile with her head bowed and resting on her hand, in an attitude of deep reflection or melancholy. The figure wears richly draped clothing with vertical and horizontal stripes, complete with a wraparound headdress. The dominant tones are warm—ochre, dull yellow, sienna, and a hint of dark red—which stand out against the dense, dark background, dominated by a deep green and brown brushstrokes that expose the wood grain on the right.

The brushstrokes are rapid, textured, and vibrant, typical of the Macchiaioli sensibility that Cecconi developed through contact with the Castiglioncello circle and artists such as Giovanni Fattori. The artist's study of light and color, focused on volumes and chromatic contrasts, is evident in the way the artist constructs the figure's clothing. See less