Thomas Alfred Woolnoth (United Kingdom, 1785-1857), Girl playing the guitar

Thomas Alfred Woolnoth (United Kingdom, 1785-1857) Girl playing the guitar Oil on canvas, 96 x 62 cm With frame, 112 x 82.5 cm   A versatile and highly interesting artist, Sir Thomas Alfred Woolnoth was primarily known for his activity as a portrait painter and engraver. His portraits of wealthy members of the London aristocracy were particularly appreciated in England during the second half of the 19th century, including John Campbell (London, National Portrait Gallery, inv. NPG 375), John Jackson (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum) and Henry Phillpotts (Art collections of the University of Durham): in the first half of the 19th century he was one of the most appreciated portrait painters by the noble and wealthy clientele of the British capital and he also created an engraving, widely circulated, representing the beloved Queen Victoria. The artist was also known for his numerous paintings portraying the most famous theatrical actors of his time, true stars ante litteram, esteemed and acclaimed by contemporaries: in this regard, it is important to mention works such as the Portrait of Mary Ann Povey as Jessica in The Merchant of Venice (National Portrait Gallery, inv. NPG D8501) or the Portrait of Miss Hallande as Sylvia in 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' (inv. NPG D38696). Woolnoth's work as an engraver and illustrator is also of particular quality: his engraved reproductions of the very famous works of Correggio and Van Dyck made these two masters more widely known in England; his work as an illustrator for series such as Britannia depicta by Cadell and Davies, The History of the Ancient Palace and Late Houses of Parliament at Westminster by E.W. Brayley and J. Britton and he Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Poets is fundamental. In this portrait, one perceives the same atmospheres as in the portraits of theater actors that made the artist internationally known. The painting depicts a young girl playing the guitar. The woman, represented in a patrician environment with an almost theatrical tone, wears a long and ample dress that leaves her shoulders bare, white in color with iridescent silvery reflections, which descends to her feet. Her gaze is stubbornly directed towards the viewer, and the sweet and soft features of the girl catalyze the attention of the viewer. The soft light and delicate colors contribute to creating an image of serene beauty. This pictorial passage, absolutely in line with the most famous passages of Woolnoth's corpus, constitutes an excellent example of the high results of British portraiture of the early 19th century.