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Simple study, direct line
A small portrait built with few elements, but well held together.
The profile is clear and steady, without hesitation.
Executed in pencil, the drawing works by synthesis: the face and garment are defined through a continuous, lightly softened line, without seeking particular effects.
The subject is a young prelate.
The dark garment, buttoned up to the neck, and the close-fitting cap point to a regular ecclesiastical context, likely connected to a chapter or seminary environment.
In this type of portrait, the profile is not incidental.
It serves to fix identity rather than expression.
The date — 1815 — appears along the edge of the oval field, together with a signature readable as “Crosa f.”, indicating the author without allowing a secure identification.
The oval format concentrates the gaze and keeps the focus on the face.
The paper shows diffuse foxing and an uneven tone consistent with age; the drawing remains clearly legible.
The ebonized frame with gilt fillets is consistent in taste and proportion and sits naturally with the drawing.
This is a private portrait, intended for a restricted context — familial or ecclesiastical — as was typical for works of this kind.
A simple object, meant to be viewed at close range rather than from a distance.
- Material: Pencil drawing on paper and wooden frame
- Size: 21 x 25 cm
- Condition: Tobe restored
- Period: Early 19th
- Style: Empire
- State: Optimal conditions
