During a conservation and restoration intervention, the signature of Joana do Salitre (1711–c.1781) on an oil painting depicting Saint Augustine, based on an engraving by Michel Dossier, was discovered. It was, on the back of the painting, hidden by a re-lining canvas and this location posed a challenge for the intervention as the work required a new re-lining. As very little is known about the artist, this painting provides an opportunity to present a systematic review of the available knowledge about the painter. Despite having a considerable clientele, her known works are rare and, consequently, this painting is a significant contribution to the establishment of her corpus. The signature on Joana do Salitre’s works, as is the case with most of her known paintings, reveals a clear sense of female authorship at a time when women artists had very limited visibility.
