Antonio Mancini

Probably French Gallery, London
Gwendolin and Margaret Davies (probably purchased from the above in 1913; thence by descent to the present owner

National Museums and Galleries of Wales (lent by Gwendolin and Margaret Davies and on permanent loan until 2010)

Original canvas. There are spots of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably along the extreme left edge, and scattered spots elsewhere. There are some spots of paint flaking, notably along the left edge in the upper half and in the centre of the upper edge, and stretcher marks, horizontally in the upper part, and vertically along the right side. The varnish has yellowed with age, and the work would benefit from a light professional clean. Held in a simple carved wood frame, black-painted with a gold-painted inner lining.
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With its thick impasto and underlying lattice pattern, Una Ragazza epitomises the artist's mature work. At the forefront of the Verisimo movement, Mancini was widely admired, being considered by John Singer Sargent as the best contemporary Italian painter.

The present work comes by descent from the collection of Gwendoline (1882-1951) and Margaret Davies (1884-1963), sisters who between them amassed the most important collection of late 19th Century paintings in Wales. Including major works by Cezanne, van Gogh, Monet and Millet, most of their collection was bequeathed to the National Museum of Wales, transforming its collections. Included in the 260 works in the bequest were two other paintings by Mancini;  the present work is one of only a few to have remained within the family.