Datei:GIACOMO CERUTI MILAN 1698 - 1767 A YOUNG LADY WITH TWO DOGS.jpg

Best known for his paintings of beggars and peasants, Ceruti produced some of the most insightful and naturalistic figurative painting of his age, applying the same sharp and observant eye to his upper class sitters as when depicting the common folk of his genre pictures, or idealized images of young ladies. The present work is typical of the latter type, with the engaging yet soft glance of the elegant young lady so masterfully executed as she holds on protectively to her small dog. As this image so characteristically demonstrates, Ceruti depicted his half-length figures in a way which highlighted both the subtleties of the sitter’s psychological character, while also providing a highly refined and realistic sense of the subject. The stark background against which the lady stands only heightens this stark sense of realism, which is even further enhanced by Ceruti's ability to crisply render fabrics, drapery, and skin.