Framed Victorian Mid 19th Century Oil - The Reverie Head Study of a Young Lady

Description

A beautifully rendered academic oil study depicting the head of a young woman, her gaze cast gently downward in a moment of quiet contemplation. Her dark hair is drawn back smoothly and parted at the centre with great precision, framing a face of serene, classical beauty. The pale luminosity of her complexion is handled with considerable skill, the flesh tones built up softly against a deep, warm olive-green ground that lends the composition an intimate, almost hushed atmosphere. This is very much a work in the academic tradition - a tête d'expression or head study of the kind prized by European ateliers throughout the 19th century, in which the mastery of facial form, light, and emotion were the measure of a painter's ability. The mood here is one of gentle introspection; there is a stillness to the subject that feels both studied and entirely natural. Consistent with the academic portrait style of the 1840s to 50s, the handling is refined and controlled, with none of the later looseness of Impressionism. Presented in a period wooden frame with a distressed red and silver finish that suits the work well. There is a faint but illegible signature to the reverse, possibly reading 'L. Thieise'. On canvas laid to board.

Condition

The condition is typical for a picture of this age, including some surface discolouration and an area of surface imperfection to the top of the head. There is a small pin hole to the upper edge of the canvas from where the artist pinned the canvas to his easel. Small flakes of paint loss to the lower left corner. Inspection under UV light reveals no restoration.

Size

26 x 21cm (10.2" x 8.3")
Framed Size: 32 x 27cm (12.6" x 10.6")