Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an ivory painting by the Neoclassicist artist F. Carbonara. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. F.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Carbonara, the piece belongs to the portrait genre and functions as a representation of an individual sitter.
The work depicts a solitary female sitter, identified as the subject of a portrait. Executed in ivory around 1800 by F. Carbonara, the piece belongs to the portrait genre and functions as a representation of an individual sitter. No additional iconographic motifs or symbolic attributes are recorded in the documented sources, and the meaning of the image is therefore understood through its formal classification as a portrait rather than through explicit symbolic content.
Technique & Style
The work is a miniature portrait painted on ivory, a support prized in the early nineteenth century for its smooth, luminous surface that allowed fine detail. Dated to 1800, the piece exemplifies the miniature genre, which demanded meticulous handling and precise brushwork to render likenesses at small scale. The ivory support would have contributed to the portrait's characteristic warm tonality and subtle gradations. No specific information about the painting's current condition or additional formal qualities is provided in the sources.
History & Provenance
Created in 1800, this ivory miniature portrait titled Portrait of a Woman was executed by the artist F. Carbonara. The work is classified as a painting within the portrait genre. While specific details regarding its original commission or early ownership history are not provided in the available records, the piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The institution has also featured the work in its exhibition history. The date of inception is recorded specifically as the year 1800.
Overview
F. Carbonara's Portrait of a Woman, created in 1800, is a small-scale depiction rendered on ivory. This intimate artwork presents an unidentified female subject, characteristic of portraiture from the period. It is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering insight into early 19th-century portraiture techniques and societal representations.
Artist & collection
Artist
You’d find Carbonara hunched over tiny slabs of ivory in a Naples backroom, squinting so hard his candle would sputter.
