Giuseppina Anselmi Faina (turin 1818 - Florence 1872), Virgin In Prayer, 1839, Oil On Canvas

Giuseppina Anselmi Faina (Turin 1818 - Florence 1872)
Virgin in prayer, after Sassoferrato, 1839
Oil On Canvas
25 x 19.4 cm (frame)
32 x 26 cm (frame)
Bears a pen inscription on the reverse on the frame : Giussepina Anselmi of pine. (1839) la direz.e del prof.re Biscarra"
Unsigned - Good general condition - restorations- golden frame

Initiated by her father, Giuseppa Anselmi, to the study of drawing and painting from a very young age, Giussepina Anselmi entered the private studio of Giambattista Biscarra, director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Turin. In 1832, at just fourteen years old, Giuseppina participated in the second public exhibition in Turin, which took place at the Valentino Castle. Having acquired a certain recognition, she executed in 1841, commissioned by King Charles Albert, two works for the renovated Galleria del Daniel of the Palazzo Reale in Turin: the Portrait of Eustachio Chappuis and the portrait of Attho, bishop of Vercelli. In Turin, in 1842 , she presented four oil paintings at the first exhibition of the Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts. The same year, she undertook a major improvement trip to Florence and then to Rome. In 1843, she was named Academician of Merit by the Academy of Virtuosos to the Pantheon and later received a similar appointment from the Academies of Fine Arts of Florence and Perugia. She then married Count Claudio Faina of Orvieto with whom she had three children between 1844 and 1851. In a context of delicate political situation, and due to the political stance of her brothers-in-law in the 1850s, her artistic activity slowed down. Relations with her husband deteriorated, she returned to northern Italy, Giuseppina's maternal cradle. In 1871, she participated in the first national exhibition of women's works, which took place in Florence.
She died in this same city in March 1872. The paintings of this artist are very rare and imbued with great sensitivity.
The work we are presenting is a youth work, which she executed at the age of twenty-one, while she was still training in the Biscarra workshop, as indicated in the annotation on the stretcher. : Giusseppina Anselmi painted (this painting) (1839) under the direction of Professor Biscarra. This cover of the work Virgin in Prayer, a famous 17th century painting by Sassoferrato, was to be part of the classic copying exercises for young painters. The exercise is more than successful for Giuseppina who gives us a striking work in vibrant colors.
In 2016, the Foundation for the “Claudio Faina” Museum of Orvieto dedicated the exhibition of paintings, drawings, sketches and documents entitled Giuseppina Anselmi Faina to Giuseppina Anselmi Faina, in the rooms of the historic Palazzo Faina in Piazza Duomo . by Giuseppe M. Della Fina.