Italian school of the XVIII century. Lot n° 12

Italian school of the XVIII century. "Bust of Cleopatra". Old attribution to Cornelis Janssens. Red chalk on laid paper. Measurements: 15 x 14 cm; 51 x 49 cm (frame). The artist of this sanguine demonstrates his exquisite technical ability when portraying this young woman. The lady, whose hair is tied up with a ribbon and her delicate features could be Cleopatra herself, turns her head to avoid the rigidity of a strictly frontal composition. Previously, this work was attributed to Cornelis Janssens, a Flemish Baroque painter who specialized in figure subjects.