Study of a Young Roman Woman

One of Ingres' many pupils at the French Academy in Rome, Damour traveled through Italy and Sicily in 1836-37. A group of Italian landscapes dated between 1840 and 1844 suggests the artist returned or remained in Italy. This sheet from November 1836 depicts a woman in traditional local dress of the type who would later enrich his landscape prints. A view of the same Italian woman, seen from behind, was sold at Artcurial, Paris, on 22 September 2021, as lot 200
The inscription indicates that the woman who posed for Damour was nicknamed "Ortolana," indicating that she was associated with a vegetable garden, perhaps a produce seller at the market. The artist's note records that she is from the seaside town of Nettuno, or Antium, a resort town for ancient Romans. The town long preserved its maritime tradition, and that the women continued to wear garments with local characteristics must have appealed to Damour.