Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering this wonderfully atmpspheric 19th Century oil painting of an elderly peasant woman knitting by the light of the fire. The painting is unsigned and depicts a scene in a kitchen or cottage living room, during the winter, as the woman is wearing a shawl over her head, on top of her cap,and tied under her chin, as well as plenty of warm clothing and mittens to keep all but her fingers warm. Next to her, on a rough-hewn wooden table top, is the ball of wool and her glasses. She appears to be sitting in, or just in front of, an inglenook fireplace, as there is a shelf on the right, with a flat iron hanging on a nail and, closer to her, is a pair of bellows.

The artist has made the old woman the subject of the piece by highlighting her face and the characterisation is superb. As the artist hasn't signed the piece, we can offer no information about him or her and there are no clues on the reverse, although we believe it is a British work and dates from the third quarter of the 19th Century.

The painting has been newly framed in a 4 3/4" ornate, silver gilt frame, which allows the painting to reach out to the onlooker. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 20 5/8" x 16 5/8" - 52.35cm x 42.2cm

Frame size: 30 7/8" x 26 3/4" - 78.45cm x 67.95cm

Medium: Oils on canvas

Condition: Very good. The canvas is clean and taut and there are two small repairs to the reverse. There is only minor craquelure in a couple of places, and, as the paint is quite thick, this is virtually invisible.