Artwork

Portrait of a Lady

Portrait of a Lady, by Pietro Longhi, oil, 1760
Portrait of a Lady, by Pietro Longhi, oil, 1760

Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Pietro Longhi. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the Walters Art Museum.

About this work

Overview

Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by Pietro Longhi, dated to 1760. It is a waist-up portrait of a woman, executed in a realistic style with meticulous detail, currently part of the collection at the Walters Art Museum.

Subject & Meaning

The subject is a woman with distinctive white hair adorned with flowers, wearing a blue dress with a low neckline and a matching blue bow. Her direct gaze engages the viewer, while her pale complexion adds a note of serenity to the composition.

Technique & Style

Longhi employed a realistic approach, focusing on detailed rendering of the subject's attire and coiffure. The dark background serves to isolate and emphasize the figure, highlighting the subtle play of light on her face and clothing.

History & Provenance

Created in 1760, the painting is attributed to Pietro Longhi. Its current location is the Walters Art Museum, though the trajectory of its ownership prior to this is not detailed in the available information.

Context

While specific contextual details about the sitter or the commission are not provided, the work reflects 18th-century portraiture conventions with its attention to the subject's attire and direct engagement with the viewer.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Pietro Longhi

Artist

Pietro Longhi

Pietro Longhi was a Venetian painter of contemporary genre scenes of life.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Walters Art Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.