An Elegant Lady in a Yellow Dress
1886
Fausto Zonaro captures a moment of high-society ennui in this striking 1886 portrait. The lady, draped in a shimmering gold-yellow gown with frothy white ruffles, looks away with a heavy-lidded expression that suggests she's waiting for a dance partner or perhaps just bored of the party. Her pristine white gloves and elaborate curly updo scream late 19th-century fashion, while Zonaro's loose, confident brushstrokes on the dress give the fabric a wonderful, tactile energy. Interestingly, just a few years after painting this chic European scene, Zonaro would move to Istanbul and become the official court painter for the Ottoman Sultan!
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
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