Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873) - Attributed, or his follower, The Girl from Montii Sabini, Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873) - Attributed, or his follower, The Girl from Montii Sabini

57 x 46 cm

This breathtaking depiction of an Italian girl resting in the shade of a tree is one of the most evocative and important works by the German painter, Franz Xaver Winterhalter. The subject is the figure of a sleeping girl with her hands behind her head. She is shown in three-quarter length, leaning against a tree, with an earthenware jug partially obscured by vines at her side, and a distant landscape in the background. The work is executed in a rich palette of bold colours, with brilliantly rendered details of costume, jewelery and headdress contrasting with the serene beauty of the sleeping facial features. The effect is enhanced by the soft skin tones and bravura brushwork in rendering the hair under the headdress, the striking gold earring, the eagle hairpiece and the apron embroidery. Winterhalter's ability to capture the qualities of the diverse textiles that make up her costume—cotton, suede, satin, and velvet—foreshadows his mastery of depicting the elaborate robes that adorn the subjects of his later formal portraits. The picture is in a beautiful original frame.
Oil on canvas
Size 57 x 46 cm