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Artwork

Don Mariano Somellera

Jacobo Lorenzo Fiorini , 1837

Don Mariano Somellera, by Jacobo Lorenzo Fiorini, oil, 1837
Don Mariano Somellera, by Jacobo Lorenzo Fiorini, oil, 1837

Don Mariano Somellera is an oil painting by Jacobo Lorenzo Fiorini. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina.

About this work

Overview

Jacobo Lorenzo Fiorini’s oil portrait, dated around 1837, depicts a gentleman named Don Mariano Somellera. The work is part of the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, where it is displayed among the museum’s 19th‑century holdings.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter appears with short dark hair, a solemn gaze, and attire that includes a high‑collared black coat over a light‑blue shirt, accented by a red button or brooch at the chest. The restrained pose and muted expression suggest a formal representation of status and personal dignity.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, Fiorini employs a limited palette of browns, blacks, and blues, allowing the figure’s face and clothing to emerge with clarity against a subdued background. The brushwork is smooth, emphasizing the elegance of the garments while maintaining a realistic rendering of facial features.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1837, the portrait entered the National Museum of Fine Arts’ collection at an unspecified date, becoming a documented example of Argentine portraiture from the early republican period. Its provenance traces back to the original commission for Don Mariano Somellera, a figure of local prominence.

Context

The painting reflects the early‑19th‑century Argentine tendency to adopt European portrait conventions, integrating them with local elite identity. Fiorini’s work aligns with contemporaneous efforts to document the emerging bourgeois class through dignified, restrained portraiture.

Artist & collection

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