During the 1730s Longhi moved away from the grand historical paintings of his early career and began working on small scale genre scenes. Many of his paintings were engraved by the French artist Charles Joseph Flipart. These two paintings are copied from Flipart’s engravings in reverse after original compositions by Longhi.

The Lover of a Venetian Lady captures the intimate scene of a lady carrying out her ablutions as her lover sitolose by. A female wig in a pretty hair style is placed on stall whilst the man’s wig with a profus hangs from a stand. The wigs would be prepared with pomantum (perfumed ointment made from animal fats) and powdered with finely ground starch or wheat.

Provenance: Bequeathed by Rosemary Clare Hunter through the Art Fund

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Attributed to the Maestro dei Riflessi a follower of Pietro Longhi (1700-1785)
Date: c. 1730s

Image Details
Date: 12 May 2024
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Telephoto Camera 52mm ƒ/2.4
Focal Length: 52mm
Aperture: ƒ/2.4
Shutter Speed: 1/33s
ISO: 400
Licensing: Image of a Bowes Museum asset. This image cannot be licensed.