Cecilia de Madrazo Playing the Piano
1869
Mariano Fortuny created this lively sketch shortly after marrying Cecilia de Madrazo, capturing her playing the piano in a moment of domestic bliss around 1869. Instead of a stiff, formal portrait, he used energetic, scratchy ink lines and washes to make the scene feel spontaneous, as if we're just peeking into their living room in Rome. A man sits nearby, completely absorbed in the performance, while a candle flickers in the background. This loose, rapid style was actually quite revolutionary for the time, foreshadowing the Impressionist movement that would soon take over Europe.
- Technique
- Pen and ink with brown wash
- Material
- Paper
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