Lot 133: European School, Late 19th or Early 20th Century, Portrait of a Smiling Monk, Oil on Canvas

A European school oil on canvas genre painting depicting the bust of a smiling monk or friar in profile, executed in a realist style. The figure is rendered with detailed characterisation, showing a weathered complexion and white hair, wearing a traditional brown habit with a cowl. The subject is set against a dark, monochromatic background. The paint is applied with visible texture in the flesh tones. There are dark, illegible markings in the lower right quadrant near the figure’s shoulder which may represent a signature, but they do not spell a readable name. The work is housed in a substantial gilt-wood and composition period-style frame featuring foliate and gadrooned borders. The canvas has been finished with a clear varnish.