Private Frame No. I is a unique art object created within the universe of La Cortigiana.

The piece originates from an original domestic hanging frame dating to the late 19th century. Such frames were not intended for public display, but for intimate interiors – bedrooms, boudoirs, private corners of the home — where images were meant to be approached closely, discovered rather than announced.

The original decorative insert has been removed.

In its place, an illustration has been engraved into aged leather. The material was chosen deliberately: for its tactility, its resistance, and its ability to carry time. The scene depicts a woman between two men. There is no spectacle or excess. The figures exist in proximity, bound not by performance but by attention and consent.

This is not an image of conquest.
It is an image of presence.

The woman stands at the center of the composition not as an object, but as the axis of the scene. The men are not rivals, nor symbols. They are participants in a moment shaped by her position, her choice, her gravity.

The leather bears traces of age that predate the engraving. These marks were preserved.
The frame was not restored or idealized.
The velvet ribbon remains worn, retaining its original function and history.

This object does not recreate a historical fantasy, nor does it modernize the past.
It continues a private tradition: images meant to exist quietly, close to the body, and outside public explanation.

Created as a one-of-one piece, La Cortigiana – Private Frame No. I is a collectible art object intended for personal space, contemplation, and intimacy – not display at a distance.

Details

• Type: Art object / collectible

• Materials: Antique metal frame, velvet ribbon, aged leather, engraved illustration

• Subject: Woman with two men

• Width: 115 mm (4.5 in)

• Frame height: 160 mm (6.3 in)

• Total height with ribbon: 415 mm (16.3 in)

• Weight: 350 g (0.77 lb)

• Production: One of one

• Created in: Italy