Two paintings: a Girl in a Hat in profile and a Girl in a Hat full face
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Two oil paintings on panel in one frame showing, on the left, a head and shoulders of a young woman looking right and, on the right, a head and shoulders of a young woman looking left. The girl looking right has her body turned to the left, she turns her head in profile looking down to lower right over her left shoulder. The girl looking left has her body turned towards the right, she tilts her head back and looks towards the upper left. Both wear hats with brims that are trimmed with flowers and looses dresses. The girl looking left has a posy of flowers fixed to her breast. The girl looking right has a low cut dress. Ribbons from her hat fall over her right shoulder.
Although Francesco Guardi began his career as a figure painter, studies of people are extremely rare in his work. He is mostly known for his picturesque views of Venice, such as the very large paintings now in the East Gallery at Waddesdon. These small paintings relate to Guardi's interest in depicting different people's expressions.
Guardi's view paintings are filled with lively human incident and character. Towards the end of his life Guardi explored this aspect more fully and painted a series of small fantastical portrait heads, four of which are at Waddesdon (see also acc. no. 2455). He was inspired by the heads of G. B. Tiepolo that were disseminated by the engravings of Domenico Tiepolo. They are notable for the vivacity of the artist's touch and the harmonies of colour. These studies are known as 'capricci', Italian for whim or fancy. They are studies of pretty peasants rather than portraits.
The pictures were brought to England in February 1829 by the English aristocrat George Agar-Ellis. He purchased them in the preceeding September as part of a collection of around 100 small paintings by Guardi and two paintings by Canaletto from a Venetian merchant. Guardi had become very popular with English collectors in the early years of the 19th century. This was the largest collection of paintings by Guardi bought by an Englishman to date (Francis Haskell; Francesco Guardi as Vedutista and Some of His Patrons; Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes; 23; 1960; 256-276).
Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild acquired the two paintings in 1895 from the Jewish art dealer, Asher Wertheimer, who had premises on Bond Street. Ferdinand also acquired several of his precious gold boxes that were also once displayed in the same room, the Tower Drawing Room, from Wertheimer. The small scale of the paintings suited their display amongst other small treasures and miniature paintings. They also complemented the French 18th-century paintings displayed on the walls.
Phillippa Plock, 2011
Dimensions (mm) / weight (mg)
90 x 75 (each panel) - sight
Signature & date
not signed or dated
Provenance
- Owned by the merchant Giacomo Tarma, active in Venice Circa 1796-1830; purchased in Venice from Tarma by 1st Baron Dover, George Agar-Ellis (b.1797, d.1833) in September 1828 along with ninety-four other small oil paintings and fourteen small tempera paintings by Guardi and two Canalettos all for 700 louis; by descent to his son 3rd Viscount Henry Agar-Ellis Clifden (b.1825, d.1866); by descent to his son 4th Viscount Henry Agar-Ellis Clifden (b.1863, d.1895); sold together in the Viscount Clifden sale by Robinson & Fisher 25 May 1895, as lot 741; bought from his sale by Asher Wertheimer (d.1918), possibly acting on Ferdinand's behalf; acquired by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (b.1839, d.1898); inherited by his sister Alice de Rothschild (b.1847, d.1922); inherited by her great-nephew James de Rothschild (b.1878, d.1957); bequeathed to Waddesdon (National Trust) in 1957.
Collection
- Waddesdon (National Trust)
- Bequest of James de Rothschild, 1957
Bibliography
- George A. Simonson; Francesco Guardi, 1712-1793; London; Metheun; 1904; pp. 49, 98, nos. 275-278
- Michael Levey, French and Italian Paintings at Waddesdon, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 54, August 1959, 57-66; pp. 62-63; as 1770-1790
- Ellis Waterhouse, Anthony Blunt; Paintings: The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor; Fribourg; Office du Livre, The National Trust; 1967; p. 302, cat. nos 150-151
- Antonio Morassi; Guardi - L'Opera Completa; 3 vols; Venice; Electa; 1993; p. 351, cat. 229