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19th and Early 20th Century Art / Paintings, Drawings and Sculptures

Thursday 18 June 2026, 10:00 AM • Rome

1141

Emilia de Divitiis

(Roma 1898 - 1979)

Head of a young Abruzzese woman

Artist's Resale Right

Estimate

€ 500 - 700

Sold

€ 1.270

The price includes buyer's premium

Information

tempera and pastel on unstretched canvas, without frame
63.5 x 57 cm
traces of signature on the right shoulder
This work has previously been subjected to a false attribution process involving the insertion of a false signature by Francesco Paolo Michetti, whose favorite student was De Divitiis. Although she was very young when she began attending the "conventino" in Francavilla al Mare, Emilia De Divitiis immediately demonstrated remarkable talent, so much so that she became Michetti's only student. Her works from this period display the master's influence, so much so that they could easily be confused with those of Michetti. This confusion is facilitated by the technique and, in this case, also by the support, which is the same type of thin canvas Michetti usually used.
De Divitiis's work is certainly not the only case of a female student whose works have been attributed to their master due to similarities in style, themes, and quality. While this process diminishes the visibility of the artists who are its victims, it is also an implicit confirmation of their talent. This work therefore appears to be a significant testament both to De Divitiis's value and to a practice that was far too widespread in the past, and to which recent art historical scholarship is finally doing justice.

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