"The spinner", oil on canvas, Luigi Bianchi

This oil painting on canvas is presented in its original gilt frame. Belonging to the Italian School of the second half of the 19th century, the work is signed lower left by the Milanese painter Luigi Bianchi (1827-1914), who specialised in portraits and historical interior scenes. Entitled ‘The Spinner’, the composition depicts a young Italian peasant woman seated in a natural setting, holding a distaff. She wears traditional dress comprising a red headscarf, a dark jacket and a blue skirt. The canvas measures 80 cm by 60 cm, with overall dimensions of 108 cm by 92 cm including the frame. The canvas has been cleaned and revarnished.