Juana ROMANI (1867–1923) - Lot 626

Juana ROMANI (1867–1923) Spring. 1894. Oil on ypreau panel. Original wooden frame with gilded stucco. Height: 29.5 cm Width: 21.8 cm This study served as a preparatory work for one of her most famous paintings; the final version, exhibited in Paris during the Salon des Artistes Français in 1895, is now housed at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Orléans. It was with this incredible painting that Juana Romani would establish her reputation and secure a substantial fortune until 1904, when her health forced her to undergo psychiatric treatment and be institutionalized. There are few differences from the version exhibited in 1895, except for the model’s facial features, which were clearly inspired by a young street girl. A contemporary of Camille Claudel, her tragic fate bears a striking parallel to that of the sculptor.