Description: “
La Mandolinata shows an unidentified model at half length playing a mandolin. Her
hair is dressed with strands of pearls gathered in an elaborate spiral decoration worn at the side
of her head (an ornament seen previously in the artist's oil painting
Fiammetta
(Private Collection)
and
Monna Vanna
(Tate), each
of 1866, and
Joli Coeur
(Manchester
City Galleries) and
A Christmas Carol
(ex Lord Leverhulme collection), each of 1867, and a again in paintings
of the early 1870s). She wears a necklace in the form of stylised pansies and at her wrist
a bracelet made in the pattern of flower whorls. On the third finger of her right hand
she wears a ring consisting of a pyramid of metal with a stone resting at its centre
(as also worn in
Monna Vanna). Her dress is of a rich brocade pattern of flowers in red on a white
of pale coloured ground, in the Venetian style, and falling from below her shoulders and
decorated across her corsage with ribbon bows. On the right side is an architectural form
decorated with a wreath of laurel leaves at the centre of which the artist has placed his monogram,
while from behind the woman's back there appears further sprays of leaves.” ("Catalogue
Note," Sotheby's Victorian and Edwardian Art Sale, 15 July 2009, Lot 12)
Scholarly Commentary
Introduction
This is one of many chalk drawings that DGR made as finished works rather than as studies for oils. He grew deeply interested in the chalk medium, which he discusses in a letter to Shields of 27 August 1869 where he refers to this work and another he was doing at the time, Penelope (see Fredeman, CorrespondenceIV. 254-55).
Bibliography