Elegant lady

Lino Selvatico was the son of Riccardo, who was mayor of Venice at the head of a progressive council. It was he, in his short term, who envisioned the institution of a great periodic art exhibition, which in 1895 would become the famous Biennale. As for the painter, he was one of many Venetian artists of the late nineteenth century, but he distinguished himself with his refinement and mastery of composition that led him to create countless portraits, especially of attractive girls. This is the case here, where we meet a young lady with impeccable elegance. The author insists on the details of clothing: the large hat with sparkling decorations, the long white gloves, the black fur shawl. Everything is made with a deliberately imprecise brushstroke, which hints at each area of the figure and simultaneously describes it effectively. Thus, the face seems to become lost behind a glass, revealing an expression that oscillates between melancholy, vanity and boredom.