Profilo di donna

In Profilo di donna Fattori depicts a woman of the people in profile in a lightly sketched interior. The work is built up from dense masses, both strong and compact, that blend in the deep, dark tones of the hair and clothing, contrasting with the luminosity of the face.
Profilo di donna is one of a large number of portraits painted by Fattori throughout the course of his career. These portraits change according to the period of his work but they always present certain characteristics, also evident here: the expression evoking the concept of realism to which Fattori remained faithful even after his trip to Paris in 1875, returning unconvinced by the new ideas of the Impressionists.
The work is very representative of the style adopted by Fattori in the portraits painted from around 1870 until the mid-1880s, in which dense masses coexist with clear and incisive drawing, again confirming the artist’s loyalty to the figurative style of the Macchiaioli.