This Portrait of Anna Maria Borghese (née de Ferrari, 1844-1914) painted by Vittorio Matteo Corcos (Italian, 1859-1933) is auctioning in Closter, New Jersey, US on March 31.
 Portrait of Anna Maria |
The young Italian noble is painted wearing a pastel pink dress. Her arm rests upon a terrace railing. According to the lot notes, this framed oil-on-canvas measures 71 x 43¾-inches.
Anna Maria was a member of one of the leading families of the Black Nobility, a group of Roman aristocratic families aligned with the Papacy. Her descendants maintain close ties to the Vatican to this day.
The artwork is a prime example of Corcos's outstanding technique as an artist. Notice the delicate flesh tones used to portray Anna Maria, and the shadings of background foliage.
Portrait of Anna Maria Borghese is auctioning with a $15,000-$25,000 estimate.
Other Corcos artworks have sold for twice as much at auction.
His 1884 work, A New Arrival, for instance, brought $46,000 over its $25,000 presale estimate in a Chicago auction in 2006.
