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Ottavio Leoni

Portrait of the Signora Licinia Leni, Marchesa Martinenghi, 1626

Now On View

Description

Maker

Title

Portrait of the Signora Licinia Leni, Marchesa Martinenghi

Year

1626

Medium

Black, red, and white chalks on blue laid paper (faded to buff)

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Supports

Dimensions

Sheet: 22.2 x 15.9 cm (8 3/4 x 6 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Inscribed in pen and ink: "Orig. de V.z" and "1646" [altered in pen and ink probably in the 19th century]

Verso: Inscribed in pen and ink: "S.ra Licinia Leni marchesa Martinenghi"

Type

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

21.275

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer

March 12 - September 4, 2022

Ottavio Leoni was praised by his contemporaries for drawing portraits “that seem in color and made of flesh.” In this depiction Leoni focused all his attention on the woman’s face—the voluminous ruff around her neck and her expensive garments are barely sketched in. Using his preferred technique of three chalks on toned paper, the artist drew the outlines, details, and shading in black. With white chalk he pulled out highlights, and with red chalk he added accents of color, lending a warm glow to the sitter’s complexion. Despite its economy of means, the drawing vividly records a face-to-face encounter between artist and subject.

From Dürer to Van Gogh

June 5 - October 26, 2008

Leoni worked in Rome and was known for both his portrait paintings and relief sculptures made from wax. Drawings such as here were executed fairly quickly from life, in this case focusing on facial features while leaving the costume unfinished. The original blue color of the paper has faded, so that one must imagine the effect of Leoni’s white highlights and subtle black shadows against a middle-tone background.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of the Signora Licinia Leni, Marchesa Martinenghi with the accession number of 21.275. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.