17th-Century Italian School, Portrait Of A Lady major and the smoky background

and the smoky background

In the centre of the composition

548 achieved for ‘Jeune fille sommeillant’ at an auction in 2004

which involved curveless dresses and flattening brassieres

Signed in the upper right

17th-Century Italian School, Portrait Of A Lady major and the smoky backgroundThis early 17th century portrait depicts a lady wearing an intriguing outfit consisting of a red dress, cloak with a high collar, hat decorated with jewels and pearl necklace. Tracking down the origins of this piece has been challenging but shes probably Italian. The top corners display the words FIOR and FVORA (or FUORA), which provide a clue. Fior is a long established surname with its roots in Bologna, northern Italy. Over the years, numerous