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61 - Ercole Graziani - Portrait of a Young Girl as Diana Tuscan-E…
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Estimate €2,500 - €3,500
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Description
Ercole Graziani - Portrait of a Young Girl as Diana Tuscan-Emilian school, second half 17th century oil on canvas 64 x 51 cm The painting depicts a young woman portrayed in a half-length pose, with her face turned towards the observer according to a solution of elegant naturalness typical of Bolognese portraiture of the mid 18th century. The figure wears ample blue drapery that leaves the shoulder and part of the back uncovered, while a white robe, held in place by a coral red and gold clasp, helps to define an image of composed sensuality. The attribute of the arrow clearly alludes to the identification of the young woman with Diana, the goddess of hunting and chastity.The work appears to be attributable to the maturity of Ercole Graziani, one of the most refined interpreters of 18th-century Felsian figurative culture. In fact, the pictorial language shows a move away from the more rigid classicist approach derived from Donato Creti, Graziani's master, towards a softer and more atmospheric drafting, close to the sensitivity of the so-called Emilian 'Barocchetto'. The light brushstrokes, the lightened colour range and the search for delicate light effects also denote an up-to-date knowledge of contemporary Roman culture, in particular the experiences of Benedetto Luti and Sebastiano Conca. The work stands out for the balance between allegorical idealisation and psychological rendering of the face, a quality that brings this painting close to the happiest results of the artist's profane production. The intimate and gentle atmosphere, far from the late Baroque theatricality, reveals that sentimental and domestic vein that characterises Graziani's painting in the later years of his activity.From a chronological point of view, the canvas can probably be placed in the 1840s, a phase in which the artist achieved full stylistic autonomy from Creti's models and developed a freer, more fluid and luminous painting style. The work is accompanied by the expertise of Prof. Massimo Pirondini.Bibliography:F. Giannini, Ercole Graziani il Giovane (1688-1765): la "Regolata Devozione" nella pittura bolognese del Settecento, doctoral thesis, University "G. d'Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, 2007.D. Benati (ed.), Espressioni d'arte. Dipinti emiliani dal XVI al XVIII secolo, Bologna, 2004.
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About the sale Old Masters and 19th Century Paintings and Drawings
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Auction time 06/12/2026 at 2:00 PM
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