It was sold on March 18, 2018, for an estimated $20,000 - $30,000 in Mexican pesos by Morton Subastas.
Tiburcio Sanchez de la Barquera was an artist born in Hidalgo, Mexico, in 1837. He later moved to Mexico City to pursue his artistic career at the San Marcos Academy, which was later renamed as the National School of Fine Arts. He worked closely with several high-profile artists along with his professor Santiago Rebull. Given his successful development in art, he received an opportunity to create ornamental sets for the Palacio de Minería (Mining Palace) and a life-size statue of Don Benito Juarez for the National Palace. Sanchez passed away in 1902.
Sanchez executed this 70 × 59 centimeters oil-on-canvas artwork, titled "Portrait of a Lady," in 1867. The oval composition of this piece showcases a white, seated woman wearing a blue, white, and gold formal dress beaded with pearl, which are also present hanging around her neck and ears. The unknown woman is also wearing a gold bracelet positioned on her left wrist and on top of her lower stomach area, perhaps placed there intentionally. During the 19th century, portraits of women commonly included high fashion and jewelry, (such as gold, silver, pearls, and precious stones), which served as symbolic visuals to communicate wealth and social status. For this reason, most of the opulent dresses featured in these kinds of portraits had necklines that were low and clean to emphasize the heavy jewelry. Additionally, for the same reason, women often styled their hair in an arranged manner, pushing it back, and adorned it with hair jewelry like tiaras.
The painting Portrait of a Lady (1867) by Tiburcio Sánchez de la Barquera gives us a glimpse of how women from wealthy families presented themselves during the nineteenth century. The woman is dressed in a beautiful blue, white, and gold gown, with pearls and gold jewellery adding to her elegant appearance. Her carefully arranged hair and calm expression make her look graceful and composed. The way she is dressed suggests that the artist wanted to highlight not only her beauty but also her social position and wealth. The jewellery, especially the pearls around her neck and ears, stands out against her dress and adds a sense of luxury to the portrait. Although we do not know who the woman was, the painting allows us to imagine the fashion, lifestyle, and social expectations of women during that period. To me, the artwork is not just a portrait of an unknown woman; it is also a reflection of how clothing, jewellery, and personal appearance were used to express identity and status in nineteenth-century society.
