Sybille with turban and fruit bowl, Oil on canvas, 19th century

This sensual painting depicts a silk-turbaned Sybille carrying a bowl of fruit (peaches and grapes) and richly dressed in a light white linen chemise, a luxurious fuchsia-pink tunic and a royal-blue cape. She is adorned with gold jewels and precious stones.

In a way, it’s fair to say that this richness contrasts with her ingenuous, gentle gaze: her radiant youth is as unsettling as her frontal, piercing gaze. Her graceful, serene face contributes to the painting’s peaceful aspect.

This painting is attributed to an artist who admired the Dominiquin and the Guerchin. Indeed, the two Italian painters produced numerous versions of these women, whose silk turbans adorned with gold and precious stones were a reminder of their oriental origins, and who were destined to prophesy the coming of Christ. We can also see a fantasy portrait of a woman in which the painter demonstrates his mastery of chiaroscuro, with contrasts softened by his knowledge of Venetian painting.

Painting without frame:
Width 90 cm x height 102 cm