796 - Portrait painter, portrait of a lady with gold jewellery, bust in wine-red dress, late 19th century

Portrait painter, portrait of a lady with gold jewellery, bust in wine-red dress, late 19th century Oil on canvas, unsigned, late 19th century, bust-length portrait of a middle-aged woman in a severe, high-necked wine-red dress, the hair pinned back, small earrings, a row of light pearls at the collar, adorned with gold chains and a brooch, a chain with a serrated pendant set with a brilliant-cut diamond, the background kept neutral and dark, condition commensurate with age, retouching in places, canvas thinned in places and with dents, paint losses, image 43.5x33.5 cm (HxW) A portrait is the artistic depiction of a particular person, intended to convey that person's nature and personality. In the bust-length portrait the greater part of the upper body is depicted, in the knee-length portrait the depiction extends to the knee. With the advent of photography in the 19th century, demand for painted portraits declined, above all among the bourgeoisie.