Giovanna Maria Clementi, Called "la Clementina" Portrait Of Charles Emmanuel III Of Savoy

The painting depicts Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy. The sovereign is portrayed half-length, in three-quarter view, with his gaze directed toward the viewer. His proud and confident bearing is emphasized by the symbols of royalty: the ermine mantle, fastened with a clasp set with precious stones, and beneath it the cuirass, a symbol of military power, while he holds the baton of command in his right hand. He also wears the collar of the Order of the Annunciation, the highest honor of the House of Savoy as head of the dynasty, as well as the star of the same order, partially concealed by the folds of the mantle. The painting, of very high quality, has come down to us in excellent condition. Two pentimenti can be observed around the wig and the mantle on the left side of the canvas.

Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy (Turin 1701–1773) was King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death. A prudent yet energetic ruler, he was known for his military abilities and for his attention to the administration of the kingdom. He took an active part in the European wars of his time, in particular the War of the Polish Succession (1733–1738) and the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), during which he succeeded in consolidating and defending the Savoyard territories.

Under his reign, Piedmont experienced a period of relative stability and modernization: fortifications were strengthened, the army reformed, and state administration improved. Charles Emmanuel III also showed a sincere interest in education and public works. 

The work, signed on the reverse of the stretcher, is by the painter Giovanna Maria Clementi, known as la Clementina (Turin 1690–1761), who was active mainly at the Savoy court in the eighteenth century. She was especially renowned as a portraitist, appreciated for the sensitivity with which she portrayed the faces and characters of her sitters. She worked for many years for the House of Savoy, producing numerous portraits of members of the royal family and the Piedmontese aristocracy, including those of Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy and his relatives.

Her refined and luminous style combines Baroque elegance with a growing taste for clarity and realism typical of the eighteenth century. Today, la Clementina is regarded as a significant figure in eighteenth-century Italian painting and an example of female artistic talent in a field dominated by men.