Description

An intimate late nineteenth-century portrait painted in La Plata, Argentina, dated 8-9-91, and signed with the artist’s monogram F.C.L. in the lower right.

The sitter is rendered with striking delicacy: dark, expressive eyes; loosely arranged curls; gold earrings; and a pale green dress suggested through quick, luminous strokes. The portrait has a wonderful immediacy, somewhere between academic polish and sketch-like spontaneity. She looks composed, watchful, and just faintly unimpressed.

The accompanying conservation report records the work as signed/inscribed “La Plata,” dated “8-9-91,” with a monogram in the lower-right corner. The auction listing gives the year as 1891, medium as oil on board, sight size 12 × 8 inches, and frame size 17 × 13 inches.

This is a small but memorable portrait: part mystery, part document, part survivor.

Object Details

Artist: F.C.L., unidentified
Title: Portrait of a Woman
Date: 1891
Place Inscribed: La Plata, Argentina
Medium: Oil on board / cardboard, later mounted to newer board or Masonite
Signature: Monogrammed lower right
Inscription: “La Plata,” dated “8-9-91” lower left
Sight Size: 12 × 8 inches
Frame Size: 17 × 13 inches
Frame: Period-style gilt frame with losses and wear
Provenance: Broward Auction Gallery LLC, Dania Beach, Florida, June 21, 2026; sold as Lot 530, La Plata (Europe, 19C) oil painting antique

Condition

The work is painted on board or cardboard and has been mounted to a newer board/Masonite support. No visible inpainting under UV light.

The attached conservation report states that the painting was dirty, had old discolored varnish, areas of paint loss, and a warped cardboard support. Treatment included mounting to Masonite, removal of grime and old varnish, pressure flattening, and revarnishing with removable Liquitex Soluvar. The frame shows visible age-related wear, including chips, cracks, rubbing, and losses to the gilded surface.

Presents beautifully overall

Purchase Details

Price: $395
Shipping quoted separately. Please inquire for additional photographs, condition details, or a shipping estimate.