Domenico Maria Sani (1690-1773)
| Artist Name | Domenico Maria Sani (1690-1773) |
|---|---|
| Title | Portrait of Maria Ann Vittoria - Queen of Portugal |
| Description | This lovely Italian Old Master portrait oil painting is by Domenico Maria Sani. Painted circa 1732 the sitter is of Maria Anna Vittoria (1718 - 1788), daughter of Philip V and Elisabetta Farnese, who in 1729 married Joseph prince of Brazil and king of Portugal, becoming Queen of Portugal by marriage. The painting is a variant by the artist of another full-length portrait of the sovereign executed by Domenico Maria Sani in the Royal Palace of Riofrio, identified in archival documents and inventories as "Portrait of dona Mariana Victoria". Maria Anna Vittoria is portrayed in three-quarter length. She wears a sumptuous blue satin dress adorned with a wealth of embroidery and applications of precious stones, with pearl drop decorations; they harmonize with the hairstyle, from which hangs a long lock of hair resting softly on her shoulder. The sovereign is then covered by an orange cloak that leaves her left side completely uncovered. With her right hand she delicately places a carnation in a rich floral arrangement placed on a piece of furniture. A really stunning Italian Old Master portrait oil painting of Portuguese royalty. Mariana Victoria of Spain (Portuguese: Mariana Vitória; 31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781) was an Infanta of Spain by birth and was later the Queen of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. The eldest daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese, she was engaged to the young Louis XV of France at the age of seven. Rejected due to her age, the marriage never took place and she was sent back to Spain. In 1729 she was married to Infante José, son of John V of Portugal and successor to his father as Joseph I of Portugal. She also acted as regent of Portugal during the last months of her husband's life and as advisor to her daughter, Maria I of Portugal, in her reign. |
| Provenance | Royal Palace of Caserta, via Douhet, 2, Caserta (CE), Campania - Italy - picture gallery VIII room: portraiture of the 700 and 800, inv. 1092 (1977/1978) |
| Medium | Oil on Canvas |
| Size | 32 x 41 inches |
| Frame | Housed in a carved gilt frame, 48 inches by 39 inches and in good condition. |
| Condition | Good condition. |
| Biography | Domenico Maria Sani (1690-1773). Italian painter and designer, trained in Andrea Procaccini's workshop in Rome. In 1721 he moved to Madrid, claimed by his teacher who had arrived in Spain a year earlier. There he worked until his death on decorative projects for the palace of La Granja, also making portrait paintings and cardboard for tapestries. His work as Procaccini's assistant focused on the various decorative tasks of the aforementioned palace, such as the marble and jasper cabinet and the painting of the new gallery. In Madrid he began his work in the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Bárbara in 1731, and the following year he painted several portraits of members of the royal family, including that of Isabel de Farnesio, who granted him various positions in the royal bureaucracy. He was appointed painter to the king and gave drawing classes to the prince of Asturias, the future Fernando VI, until occupying the post of roomer. Hardly any examples of his activity as a decorator painter have come down to us, but we know the altarpieces made by order of Isabel de Farnesio in 1759 -year in which the Academy of San Fernando granted him the title of honorary director of painting- for the altars of La Farm. Of his portrait work the effigies of the queen are not preserved, but that of the Infanta María Ana Victoria is attributed to him, where the influence of his teacher Procaccini is added to that of Jean Ranc, official painter of the kings. |
| Price | £34000 |
