Alessandro Longhi, 'Caterina Penza', about 1760
About the work
Overview
This portrait of Caterina Giovanna Penza (or Pensa) was probably intended to hang beside a companion picture of her husband, the Venetian architect Tommaso Temanza, in which he holds the instruments of his profession (Gallerie dell' Accademia, Venice). Alessandro was the son of artist Pietro Longhi, whose paintings are also in the National Gallery’s collection.
Born in 1721, Caterina married Tommaso in 1739 and was still alive in 1789, when her husband died. This portrait was painted in around 1760, when Caterina was about 40 years old. Her hair is neatly tied back and covered in wig powder to create a silver-grey appearance; her smile is relaxed and welcoming, her cheeks rosy and her features delicate. She wears an elegant dress embellished with a lace collar and gold embroidery, a corsage of different flowers and a string of pearls. Set against a plain background, her blue shawl and the flowers on her dress and in her hair bring the portrait to life.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Caterina Penza
- Artist
- Alessandro Longhi
- Artist dates
- 1733 - 1813
- Date made
- about 1760
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 60.4 × 48.3 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Mond Bequest, 1924
- Inventory number
- NG3934
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Michael Levey, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1956Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1956
-
1986Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.