Antonio Lonza, Italian 1846-1918

Aristocratic women, picturesque and splendid in their richly colored and sumptuous dress, are appealingly delightful as presented by this artistic spirit. Always tasteful, exquisite in tone and pleasing in technique, Antonio Lonza's painting style was typical of Italian art that concentrated on costume and anecdotes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Born in Trieste, Italy, Lonza was awarded a scholarship by his native city to the Academy of Art in Venice in 1867. Initially his work was historical in nature but after establishing himself in Rome in 1874, he began to capture and celebrate the pleasures of color under the influence of Fortuny. The artist participate...