ABBATI, Giuseppe
(b. 1836, Napoli, d. 1868, Firenze)

Portrait of a Woman

1865-66
Oil on panel, 26 x 14 cm
Galleria dell'Arte Moderna, Palazzo Pitti, Florence

More a genre painting than a portrait, this woman is standing near a fireplace resting her hands on the back of a chair, a pose that was customary in portrait photography at that time. The composition focuses on her long, bluish dress and the bonnet, held down by a black scarf, while her features are only summarily executed in large daubs of colours.