Clara Novello
- Artist: Edward Petre Novello
- Date: 1833
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 56 1/8 in. x 44 3/8 in. (1425 mm x 1126 mm)
- Portrays: Clara Novello
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
Before you is a portrait of Clara Novello, the celebrated soprano whose voice was praised by Queen Victoria in 1852 and who sang as the first soloist in Rossini’s *Stabat Mater* (1838). In this oil on canvas from 1833, Edward Petre Novello – her brother and painter – shows her picking flowers in a woodland setting. The trees cast dappled light across her face; her hair is fashioned into stiffened loops, a band of black silk crossing the forehead, lending a subtle sense of poise.
Her gown is rendered with fine detail, the fabric catching the gentle play of sunlight on leaves. Notice how the brushwork gives texture to both foliage and her gloves, suggesting movement in the quiet forest scene.
The portrait combines naturalism and an intimate glimpse into the life of one of Europe’s early‑nineteenth‑century music icons.
See it in person
Clara Novello is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
