Date
1833
Object Type
Painting
Subject
Portrait of the Countess Emilia Sommariva Seillière
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. On long-term loan and on display at Villa Carlotta, Tremezzina (Como), since 2024
About The Work
The Lorraine-born Baroness Emilia Seillière was the last heir to the magnificent estate of Giovanni Battista Sommariva, President of the second Cisalpine Republic and Napoleon’s influential right-hand man in Milan, having married his only son, Luigi.As one of the pre-eminent patrons of the Neoclassical age, Sommariva assembled a renowned collection, shared between Paris and his villa in Tremezzo, on the shores of Lake Como (now Villa Carlotta), comprising masterpieces by Canova and Thorvaldsen alongside works by Rembrandt, Titian, Guérin, and David. Although much of this vast collection has since been dispersed, Emilia bequeathed several notable works to the Musée du Louvre and the Brera Academy, including Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld’s Vue de la Villa Sommariva and family portraits by the likes of Pierre-Paul Prud’hon, Eliseo Sala, and Robert Lefèvre.A woman of great intellect and an amateur painter herself, Emilia sat for her portrait in 1833 for Charles Boulanger de Boisfrémont. A close follower of Prud’hon, the artist had previously painted Vénus déposant Ascagne endormi dans le bosquet du mont Ida for the elder Sommariva. Belonging to the painter’s mature period, the work is set against a radiant view of Lake Como; here, the inclusion of the 'Lario' (the first steamboat to grace the lake in 1826) reflects the artist's meticulous attention to contemporary detail.With a polished, 'enamelled' finish that captures every fine detail, the painting highlights the Baroness’s sophisticated style. Her voluminous puffed sleeves, cashmere shawl, fur boa, and 'à la girafe' hairstyle perfectly capture the essence of the Parisian haute couture then in vogue. However, it is the bracelet that holds the deepest sentimental value, featuring a miniature portrait of her husband, Luigi, derived from the painting by Robert Lefèvre. Having survived the 1906 auction of the Sommariva jewels, this precious token of affection is now held in the Decorative Arts Collections at the Sforza Castle in Milan.
Title
Ritratto della contessa Emilia Sommariva Seillière
Creator
Charles Boisfremont de Boulanger
Subject
Portrait of the Countess Emilia Sommariva Seillière
Object Type
Painting
Original Function
Collection
Date
1833
Inscriptions
Signed and dated, lower left: "Boisfremont 1833"
Technique / Support
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
cm 98 x 79
Acquisition
Bequest of Emilia Sommariva Seillière, 1873
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. On long-term loan and on display at Villa Carlotta, Tremezzina (Como), since 2024
Inventory number
Reg. Cron. 6351
Bibliography
Marelli, Isabella. Entry no. 120. In Pinacoteca di Brera. Dipinti dell’Ottocento e del Novecento. Collezioni dell’Accademia e della Pinacoteca, vol. 1, Musei e Gallerie di Milano, edited by Fernando Mazzocca. Milano: Mondadori Electa, 1993. 121, ill. 122 (with previous bibliography).
Gallo, Daniela. “Sommariva in Francia.” In L’Olimpo sul Lago. Canova, Thorvaldsen, Hayez e i tesori della collezione Sommariva, edited by Fernando Mazzocca, Maria Angela Previtera, and Elena Lissoni. Cinisello Balsamo (Milano): Silvana editoriale, 2024. 227, ill.
Gallo, Daniela. “Sommariva in Francia.” In L’Olimpo sul Lago. Canova, Thorvaldsen, Hayez e i tesori della collezione Sommariva, edited by Fernando Mazzocca, Maria Angela Previtera, and Elena Lissoni. Cinisello Balsamo (Milano): Silvana editoriale, 2024. 227, ill.
Conservation status
Fair
Unique identifier
0302201010