An exceptional rendering of the 1826 painting, La Fileuse d’Albano (by Claude Bonnefond), this oil on canvas by an unknown French artist is from later in the 1800s. Both paintings are tremendous examples of chiaroscuro, which is the treatment of light and shadow. For example, notice how the natural light shines through the open doors, illuminating the Albanensi woman who is guiding thread onto a yarn reel, while the rest of the room remains dark.

The weaver is clad in red and white, making her quite noticeable from the brown and black walls. Additional items within the dark room, such as copper cooking pots and a straw broom, emphasize that the weaver is not wealthy. Behind the weaver is an arched entry with both doors swung open to reveal a terrace overrun with grapevines. In the far distance, the sun-drenched landscape gains elevation in the form of mountains beneath a clear sky.

Surrounded by giltwood hand-carved with imagery of foliage, rinceaux, large margents, and swans, the ornate frame offers a stark contrast to the spartan life and dark interior that faces the fileuse (French for “spinner”).

Jean-Claude Bonnefond was born in Lyon, France, in 1796. Bonnefond traveled to Italy in the 1820s, where he was inspired by peasant life. Most of his paintings feature working-class subjects, and there is a collection of his work preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. In 1831, Bonnefond became the director of École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, where he had studied years before under the tutelage of Pierre Révoil.

CONDITION: Good antique condition. Very light craquelure to canvas. Minor losses and age separations to the gilt frame, which has been touched up. Missing motifs to the foliate border immediately surrounding the canvas. Not rigged for hanging.