Watercolor, Seated Woman, Lodovico De Courten (1870-1880)

Signed and framed watercolor of a seated lady by the Florentine artist Count Lodovico de Courten from the third quarter of the 19th century.

About the artist: Lodovico de Courten (1840-1907) was born in Florence, the son of a noble officer of the Papal States. In 1882, two 17th-century genre scenes were shown at an exhibition in his hometown. The compositions and subjects of the paintings suggest that he was inspired by the work of the Baroque artist Caravaggio. However, Courten also produced a large number of watercolors, including this small, moody work of a seated lady, dressed in the typical style of dress of the 1870s. She holds the handle of a basket placed on her lap. A striking detail is that the lady is not looking directly into the artist's eyes, but seems to be staring at an imaginary point behind him.