19th Century Swedish School Portrait of Maria Birgitta, Oil Painting

19th century

Sold by Brave Fine Art

Description

A provincial mid-19th-century portrait of a seated lady wearing a black dome-shaped dressed with a white collar. Her right arm is resting on a table with several red books, which indicates her literacy.

Her style fits perfectly alongside other portraits from the 1840s. It was a decade whereby dome-shaped dresses became increasingly more voluminous and hair was parted perfectly in the centre. Women also often wore pendants or cameos attached to long necklaces - as we see here.

An inscription on the reverse refers to ‘Maria Birgitta’ who died in 1906 and there’s potentially also a reference to the artist.

The portrait is housed within a black lacquered frame that’s probably the original.

Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board then laid on wood

Overall size: 15½” x 19½” / 42cm x 49cm

Year of creation: c. 1845

Provenance: Sweden

Condition: Craquelure throughout including a vertical line towards the bottom. Scattered paint losses. Frame with age-related wear. The style suggests that there's a photographic base under the oils.

Physical Dimensions

Height

49cm (19.29")

Width

42cm (16.54")

Depth

3cm (1.18")

Declaration

Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA731298

Description

Her style fits perfectly alongside other portraits from the 1840s.

“

It was a decade whereby dome-shaped dresses became increasingly more voluminous and hair was parted perfectly in the centre.

Brave Fine Art

Women also often wore pendants or cameos attached to long necklaces - as we see here.

fig 1. 19th Century Swedish School Portrait Of Maria Birgitta, Oil Painting — fig 1. 19th Century Swedish School Portrait of Maria Birgitta, Oil Painting

An inscription on the reverse refers to ‘Maria Birgitta’ who died in 1906 and there’s potentially also a reference to the artist.

The portrait is housed within a black lacquered frame that’s probably the original.

fig 2. 19th Century Swedish School Portrait Of Maria Birgitta, Oil Painting — fig 2. 19th Century Swedish School Portrait of Maria Birgitta, Oil Painting

Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board then laid on wood

Overall size: 15½” x 19½” / 42cm x 49cm

Year of creation: c. 1845

Provenance: Sweden

Condition: Craquelure throughout including a vertical line towards the bottom. Scattered paint losses. Frame with age-related wear. The style suggests that there's a photographic base under the oils.