Continental School, possibly Italian, 18th century, oil on canvas half length portrait of a lady seated with a brush in one hand and holding the corner of a classical drawing in the other, more artist tools on work surface. Subject with dark hair adorned by jeweled and feathered headdress, green velvet and gold brocade formal gown and ermine and red wrap. Unsigned. Portrait painted in an oval shape on a rectangular canvas. Sight: 32" H x 23 1/2"W. Older gilt convex frame: 38" H x 30" W. Continental, possibly Spanish, late 18th/early 19th century. Provenance: the estate of Christine Rehnke, Nashville, Tennessee. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)

Overall stable condition. Canvas relined and with new stretcher. Areas of thin paint. Some abrasions to canvas. Black light reveals areas of inpainting to lower hand, wrist, chin and hairline, along oval corners, scattered in background around sitter, especially to right side. 4-5 vertical drip stains down center of canvas. Overall craquelure. Pest damage to frame. Numerous losses to gilt.