An Elderly Lady Sitting On A Wooden Chair, Warming Her Hands

The painting depicts an elderly lady sitting on a wooden chair, warming her hands over a terracotta container that may hold embers or small pieces of wood. The woman wears a simple outfit, typical of the daily life of the lower classes, consisting of a red dress and a dark cloak covering her shoulders, over which a headscarf is tied. Her face, marked by time with deep wrinkles, reflects her advanced age. She seems to gaze at the viewer with a calm and slightly melancholic expression.   The atmosphere is intimate and conveys a sense of quiet resignation, evoking the cold of the winter season. Although the canvas is now mounted on a cardboard support, it 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 renowned for his genre scenes and compositions depicting beggars, peasants, and artisans, often engaged in daily activities or in simple, rural settings. Todeschini excelled in portraying realistic details of common life, adding an emotional and sometimes dramatic component that enriches his works with a vivid realism.   The painting measures 70 cm in height and 52 cm in width, making it quite manageable and suitable for a domestic or collector’s setting. The use of dark tones and the interplay of light and shadow help create a sense of warmth and protection, contrasting with the winter cold suggested by the scene.