Look at her

The Lady in black was depicted by António Ramalho (1858-1916), showing a typically Parisian woman, for her fascinating and daring smile, in which the expressive force, concentrated on the various particular elements of the face, challenges the spectator.

The author executed this portrait with full affirmation of the brushstroke, valueing the blot and creating a strong chromatic contrast.

Anastácio Gonçalves, by the insinuating, jovial and attractive smile, called it "my Gioconda".

In January 1881, with his Fine Arts degree already completed, Columbano left for a two-year stay in Paris, supported by the private pension of the Countess d'Edla, settling in the Atelier of the Boulevard Raspail in Montparnasse. This painting dates from that time.

The deliberate absence of landscape and natural light, show the paintor's lack of interest in naturalism, thus the physical presence of the feminin figure turns out to be the sole motiv of the painting.

Another portrait of a typical figure is this Waterwoman (a Coimbra custom) - executed by Miguel Ângelo Lupi (1825-1861). The water seller is in a melancholic mood, surrounded by nature, although it is a scenographic solution of studio.

History painter, Miguel Lupi was also an excellent portraitist. He was widely accepted by the public, was professor at he Academy of Fine Arts of Lisbon and also taught the Royal Prince Dom Carlos.

Mário Augusto (1895-1941) portrayed this Washerwoman from Aveiro (study) using, rather than the lines of drawing, contrasting colours, vibrantly applied.

On the head, she wears the typical hat or rolled scarf to ease carrying the heavy laundry, and she has a gold medallion, pride and endowment of such a woman.

Seeming to pose for a photographer, the two Girls of Paço do Lumiar are typically dressed, recording a time when, in that northern zone of Lisbon, the Lumiar village and its noble farms produced mostly wheat, barley, wine and olive oil.

Looking closer, the sketch.

The portrait of Maria Ema Ferreira da Silva is one of the many portrays commissioned to António Ramalho.

Anastácio Gonçalves bought this painting in 1964, to Alexandre Ferreira da Silva Campos, son of Maria Ema, who was herself daughter of the actors Virginia and Augusto Ferreira da Silva.

During his stay in Paris (1873-1879), Silva Porto made among others the academic copy of the portrait of Princess Margarida aged 4, by Velásquez, observed at the Louvre Museum.

Margaret Theresa of Spain (1651 – 1673) was, by marriage, Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and the elder full-sister of Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. She is the central figure in the famous Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez, and the subject of many of his later paintings.

Also painted in Silva Porto's training years abroad, this Nude girl from Naples is an exception in terms of the subjects the painter used to choose. It shows the exotic taste of the time, as the young woman lies on an oriental rug where there also is an oriental fan.

The oriental fan.

The young napolitan woman.