Portrait of Countess de TILLY
Fine Arts
Inventory number
2026.5.5.5.FA.PA.C1821.ES
Author:
José María DELGADO Y MENESES (Spanish, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz 1764 - C1855 Madrid)
Description
Miniature portrait of Countess de TILLY, shown seated and gazing directly toward the viewer. She sits calmly, her face marked by a soft expression and a faint, pleasant smile. The Countess is represented against a neutral grey background, which emphasizes the pale tones of her face and costume. Her hair is arranged in a high coiffure, with the upper part encircled by small braids turned around the head, while several loose sections fall gently toward the neck.
She wears a white dress of toga-like inspiration, arranged in soft draped folds. The garment is decorated with golden medallion-like ornaments placed near the shoulders, reinforcing the neoclassical character of the costume. Her skin is rendered in a noticeably pale tone, which may suggest that the portrait was executed posthumously or intended to evoke a memorial image.
Josefa TILLY Y MONTANER, II Countess of Tilly (Spanish, Madrid 1780 - 1815 Madrid) was a Spanish noblewoman, daughter of Rudesindo Everardo de TILLY Y GARCÍA DE PAREDES (1722 - 1793), I Count of Tilly, colonel of infantry, lieutenant general of artillery, knight commander of the Order of Santiago and gentleman of the chamber of the king, to whom Carlos IV had granted the title of Count of Tilly on 12 August 1790, and of Eduarda Manuela MONTANER RAMÍREZ DE ARELLANO (1754 - ?). Upon her father's death on 22 March 1793, she succeeded to the title of Countess of Tilly at the age of thirteen. She married Miguel Francisco de ARIZCUN Y PINEDA, Marquis of Iturbieta (1755 - 1855), with whom she had four children: Miguel Francisco ARIZCUN TILLY (1800 - 1878), who became III Count of Tilly, V Marquis of Iturbieta and senator for life, Clotilde ARIZCUN TILLY (1806 - 1880), Mariana ARIZCUN TILLY (1807 - 1876) and Francisco ARIZCUN TILLY (1814 - 1896). She died in Madrid on 18 February 1815 at the age of 34.
Materials
Ivory
Gouache
Metal
Wood frame
Origin
circa 1821
Sapin, probably Madrid
Dimensions
Length : 4.4 cm
Height : 5.5 cm