Swedish School Portrait Of Maria Birgitta

Swedish School Portrait Of Maria Birgitta

A provincial mid-19th-century portrait of a seated lady wearing a black dome-shaped dressed with a white collar. Her right arm is resting on a table with several red books, which indicates her literacy.

Her style fits perfectly alongside other portraits from the 1840s. It was a decade whereby dome-shaped dresses became increasingly more voluminous and hair was parted perfectly in the centre. Women also often wore pendants or cameos attached to long necklaces - as we see here.

An inscription on the reverse refers to ‘Maria Birgitta’ who died in 1906 and there’s potentially also a reference to the artist.

The portrait is housed within a black lacquered frame that’s probably the original.

Medium
Oil on canvas laid on board then laid on wood
Overall size
15½” x 19½” / 42cm x 49cm
Year of creation
c. 1845
Provenance
Sweden
Condition
Craquelure throughout including a vertical line towards the bottom. Scattered paint losses. Frame with age-related wear. The style suggests that there's a photographic base under the oils.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

Stay In Touch
Subscribe to our Wednesday newsletter for the latest finds and 10% off your order.

Availability