Portrait of Ena Wertheimer
Technical details
Description
The Valencian artist Cecilio Pla, most likely during his stay in London in 1908 for an exhibition he gave in the British capital, partially copied the splendid 1905 work by John Singer Sargent, Portrait of Ena Wertheimer, depicting a young woman from the family of an important Jewish art dealer in London. The original is on display at Tate Britain in London. The technique employed by Pla for his portraits was very similar to that used by Sargent - at the time, the most in demand and highest paid portraitist in the world. Against a dark background, the beautiful young woman is covering her dress with the black cape that Lord Londonderry had inadvertently left behind at Sargent's studio. The movement of the cape, resembling a sail billowing in the wind, led to the original being subtitled "A Vele Gonfie" (Italian for in full sail)". The woman's casual pose and mirth was realistically captured by Pla in his copy.