Details
Description
Early 18th-Century Italian Venetian Portrait Painting on Glass
This wonderful early 18th-century portrait of a lady holding a small dog …
Read more
Early 18th-Century Italian Venetian Portrait Painting on Glass
This wonderful early 18th-century portrait of a lady holding a small dog is a classic example of reverse glass painting (also known as Hinterglasmalerei or verre églomisé), a technique where the image is applied to the back of a sheet of glass.
This artwork, never before on the market, comes from an important Italian private collection
About layering technique, unlike traditional canvas painting, the artist must work in a strictly reversed order.
Highlights and fine details (like the individual curls of hair, jewelry, and the dog’s eyes) were applied first, followed by the mid-tones, and finally the opaque background.
The artist likely used tempera paints on a thin sheet of glass.
The glass itself serves as both the substrate and a protective, high-gloss "varnish" that saturates the colors.
The technique provides a unique, brilliant texture that is "crystal and smooth," a quality highly favored by the upper classes in both Europe and China during this period.
The portrait features an elegantly dressed noblewoman in typical 18th-century fashion, including a high powdered hairstyle, a pearl choker, and a lace-trimmed bodice.
The symbolism of the small lap dogs were popular status symbols for aristocratic women.
In 18th-century portraiture, they often symbolized fidelity and companionship.
The visible white spots and distortions are consistent with aging in glass paintings, often caused by the embrittlement of the paint layer or air pockets forming between the pigment and the glass substrate
See less
Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Cancellation Policy - Prior to shipping or local pickup, buyers may cancel an order for up to 48 hours, unless otherwise specified.
Related Collections
- Photorealism Paintings in New York
- Photorealism Canvas Paintings
- Joseph Solman Paintings
- Donald Judd Paintings
- George Coggeshall Paintings
- Karen Offutt Paintings
- Richard Serra Paintings
- Margaret Kennedy Paintings
- William IV Paintings
- Jacobean Paintings
- Lowell Nesbitt Paintings
- Francine Tint Paintings
- Louis Wolchonok Paintings
- Jean Calogero Paintings
- Vienna Secession Paintings
- René Magritte Paintings
- Jeff Slemmons Paintings
- Paintings in Panama City, FL
- BandB Italia Paintings
- Laddie John Dill Paintings
- Michelle Arnold Paine Paintings
- Camille Pissarro Paintings
- Etruscan Revival Paintings
- Photorealism Paintings in Los Angeles
- Black Photorealism Paintings