Fanciulla Con Lillà 

Achille Beltrame painted this portrait, titled "Fanciulla Con Lillà," using oil on canvas. The way Beltrame handled the oil paint is quite traditional, reminiscent of academic painting of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. If you look closely, you'll notice the smooth, almost porcelain-like finish he achieved, especially in the rendering of the young woman’s skin. This effect wasn't accidental; it came from the meticulous layering of thin glazes of paint, a time-consuming process requiring great patience and skill. The very smoothness speaks to the work involved. Yet, Beltrame was also an illustrator. His work embodies the tension between commercial art and the world of the academy. The soft colour palette and subject matter speak to a culture of idealised beauty that straddles the boundaries of fine art and popular visual culture. Recognizing the labour and skill involved reminds us of the shared ground between different visual cultures.