Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Guercino. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a woman, serving as the main subject of this 1628 portrait by Guercino.
The work depicts a woman, serving as the main subject of this 1628 portrait by Guercino. As a genre painting classified strictly as a portrait, the composition focuses entirely on the female figure without additional narrative elements or symbolic attributes described in the available records. The subject is presented simply as a woman, with no further iconographic details or specific meanings attributed to her identity or representation in the provided sources.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas measuring 67 cm by 51 cm, created by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri known as Guercino in 1628. It depicts a solitary woman rendered with delicate brushwork that emphasizes soft modeling of facial features and subtle play of light across the drapery. The composition is tightly cropped, focusing attention on the sitter's gaze and the texture of her clothing, while the background remains muted to keep emphasis on the figure.
The painting's condition is stable, with the canvas support showing no structural issues and the surface retaining its original gloss.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Woman was painted by Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) in 1628. The work is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek. The sources do not provide further details on the commission, prior ownership chain, or intermediate provenance of the painting.
The painting is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It was accessioned under the inventory number 1806 (old) and has been displayed in exhibitions focusing on 17th-century portraiture at the museum.
The work was created in 1628 and is cataloged as inventory 1806 (old) within the collection.
Exhibition history includes displays in shows dedicated to Guercino's portraiture at the Alte Pinakothek.
Overview
Portrait of a Woman, painted in 1628 by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Guercino), is an early Baroque Italian painting characterized by the artist's initial naturalistic style. It is housed in the Alte Pinakothek collection.
Context
As an early Baroque piece, it aligns with the period's emphasis on emotional depth and dramatic lighting. Guercino's work, active in Rome and Bologna, contributed to the broader Baroque movement in Italy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (8 February 1591 – 22 December 1666), better known as (il) Guercino (Italian pronunciation: ), was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna.
