Spanish Costume

The painting by the Roman artist bears testimony to the taste for Spanish fashion that pervaded European painting since the 1840s. The widespread Spanish folkloric elements – recalling some similar, southern Italian popular themes - became an opportunity for the painter to test some unusual colour solutions. So, the black mantilla enveloping the woman is made livelier by the white of the shirt and the red of the flowers, while the background, with its heterogeneous colours spread with thick brushstrokes, creates a strong visual and emotional impact.