Doña Josefa de la Cotera y Calvo de la Puerta
1816
oil
canvas
From the collection of Brooklyn Museum
1816
oil
canvas
From the collection of Brooklyn Museum
Doña Josefa de la Cotera y Calvo de la Puerta is a 1816 oil by Unknown, held at Brooklyn Museum.
The painting depicts a woman in a white dress with a black shawl, adorned with a floral pattern and tassels. She wears a ring on her right hand and has a hairstyle pulled back. The background is dark, and there is a red crest with a crown on the top left. The woman's attire and hairstyle suggest a sense of elegance and refinement. The dark background and the use of chiaroscuro create a sense of depth and dimensionality in the painting. The artist's use of chiaroscuro adds a sense of drama and emphasis to the subject, drawing the viewer's attention to her face and hands. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.