In 1928, Italian artist Emilia de Divitiis portrayed herself in a formal pose, likely while painting. She is shown with her head turned, gazing slightly to the side. The artist represents herself with a serene face, smiling, dressed in the clothes of the trade. The colors vary from light to dark creating strong contrasts that are evident between the black of her short curly hair and the red of the drape in the background that contrasts with the white of her low-cut shirt and the paleness of her skin. The brushstrokes are short and contribute to creating this play of light and shadow on the fabric. The artist demonstrates the influence of her mentor Francesco Paolo Michetti and his naturalistic painting style, derived from the realism tradition of 19th century pictorials. De Divitiis, in fact, attended the "Conventino" of Francavilla a Mare for 8 years to learn from master Michetti … and it was precisely during this period that she made this work. In the following years, her painting grew closer to Cézanne's techniques and her attention moved to the more intimate subjects like family. This self portrait was donated by the artist in 1978 to the Modern Art Gallery of Palazzo Pitti (Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Palazzo Pitti).

Autoritratto by Emilia de Divitiis (Italian) - Oil on canvas / 1928 - Galleria degli Uffizi (Florence, Italy) #womeninart #womanartist #art #femaleartist #oilpainting #womensart #EmiliadeDivitiis #GalleriadegliUffizi #UffiziGallery #PalazzoPitti #Galleriad'ArteModerna #deDivitiis #