Artwork
Portrait of Doña Antonia Zárate
Portrait of Doña Antonia Zárate is an oil painting by Francisco Goya. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland. Created around 1805, this oil portrait depicts Doña Antonia Zárate, a Spanish woman of the early nineteenth century.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1805, this oil portrait depicts Doña Antonia Zárate, a Spanish woman of the early nineteenth century. Executed by Francisco Goya, the work now belongs to the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown seated on a plush couch, wearing a black dress trimmed with white lace and a matching veil. She holds a fan in her right hand and looks directly at the viewer, a pose that conveys both dignity and intimacy, reflecting contemporary conventions of portraiture for women of her social standing.
Technique & Style
Goya employs chiaroscuro to model the figure, allowing light to illuminate the face and hands against a warm, golden backdrop. The contrast of dark clothing with the luminous background creates depth, while the soft handling of fabric and veil demonstrates the artist’s skill in rendering texture and translucency.
History & Provenance
The painting appeared in a 1900 Madrid exhibition, listed as owned by Doña Adelaida Gil y Zárate. It entered the collection of Sir Otto Beit after purchase in London, was displayed at Russborough House, and passed to his son Sir Alfred Beit. Following two thefts from Russborough in 1974 and 1986, the work was recovered in 1993 and subsequently donated to the National Gallery of Ireland.
Context
The portrait served as a model for a later, larger portrait of Doña Antonia produced in 1810–11, attributed to Goya or his workshop. This relationship illustrates Goya’s practice of reusing compositional studies and highlights the sitter’s continued prominence within his circle of patrons.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; Spanish: ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.
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