Roberto Bompiani

ROBERTO BOMPIANI (Rome, Italy, 1821 -1908)
"Portrait of a Lady, 1880.
Oil on canvas. Re-coloured.
It has a damaged frame.
Signed and dated in the lower left zone.
Measurements: 75 x 62 cm; 97 x 82 cm (frame).
The portrait of this young woman, painted by Roberto Bompiani, evokes the image of an authentic bacchante, a mythological figure associated with wine, festivity and unbridled joy. Bompiani succeeds in conveying a sense of movement and vitality through the young woman's posture and gestures. Her body is slightly tilted to one side. Her arms are outstretched, showing unparalleled grace as she holds a jar of wine in her hands, a symbol of exuberance and celebration. The artist has meticulously portrayed the details of the young woman's clothing. She wears a light, flowing dress, which falls softly over her body and blends in with the palette of soft, vibrant colours used to create the flesh tones of the skin. Her tousled hair highlights her wild and free appearance, capturing the wild and unbridled nature of her spirit. In short, Roberto Bompiani's portrait of this bacchante-worthy young woman is an exquisite depiction of beauty, passion and freedom. She captivates the viewer with her energetic expression and dynamic pose. Bompiani achieved great fame with works in which he drew thematically on classical antiquity, such as this painting and his work entitled "An Italian Girl" in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, which is very similar in subject matter and composition to the present one.
Bompiani was born in Rome and at the age of fifteen enrolled at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, where in 1836 he shared first prize with his fellow student Angelo Valeriani. By 1839 he had won prizes in both sculpture and painting at the Accademia. He was very prolific, especially as a painter. He is especially known for his paintings of scenes of ancient Rome, for which he earned the nickname "the Italian Bouguereau". In 1876, at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Bompiani exhibited a Roman girl garlanding her father's bust and the Suonatore di Tibia (Flautist). These were the first of his popular Pompeian works. He exhibited at the Mostra internazionale in Vienna, where he won a prize for his portrait of Giovanni Battista Canevari (1872), now on display at the Accademia di San Luca. He became a professor and president of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. His son, Augusto Bompiani, and daughter, Clelia Bompiani, were also painters.