Giacomo Francesco Cipper

The painting depicts an elderly woman, sitting on a wooden chair, intent on warming her hands over a terracotta container that may contain embers or small pieces of wood. The woman wears a simple dress, typical of the daily life of the popular classes, with a red dress and a dark cloak covering her shoulders, over which a handkerchief knotted on her head is visible. The face marked by time, with deep wrinkles, testifies to the advanced age of the woman, who seems to look at the observer with a peaceful and slightly melancholic expression. The atmosphere is intimate and conveys a sense of quiet resignation, evoking the cold of the winter season. The canvas, although now glued to a cardboard support, retains its original charm, attributable to the skill of Giacomo Francesco Cipper, known as Todeschini. The painter, active in Lombardy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, is famous for his genre scenes and compositions depicting beggars, peasants and artisans, often immersed in daily activities or in contexts of simple and rural life. Todeschini excelled in the art of representing the realistic details of common life, adding an emotional and sometimes dramatic component, which enriches his works with a lively realism. The painting measures 70 cm in height and 52 cm in width, dimensions that make it quite manageable and suitable for a domestic or collecting context. The use of dark tones and the play of light and shadow contribute to creating a feeling of warmth and protection, in contrast to the winter cold suggested by the scene.