19th CENTURY PAINTINGS

Crayons on paper. Along the bottom edge of the boy's portrait is the inscription "Cesare Ferreri drew in reminiscence". The artist from Pavia devoted himself primarily to engraving, which he also taught at the drawing school of the University of Pavia, where he was director for a long time after the death of his teacher Giovita Garavaglia. The two portraits are presented in contemporary gilded frames (regilded).

Oil on canvas. Wooded landscape with a wide path traversed by various popular figures. The frame bears the attribution to Massimo D'Azeglio: the artist of this landscape undoubtedly drew inspiration from the style of the politician and patriot, who was also a painter and writer. The painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil on panel. The painting harks back to 17th-century painting styles. The subject—the Virgin depicted bare-breasted, caught in the act of breastfeeding her Son—has always been widespread and a subject of devotion, as it emphasizes the human dimension and the strong bond between mother and child, even as Jesus' gaze directed toward the viewer reminds us that He came to save humanity. The painting is presented in a late 19th-century frame.

Gouache on paper. A typical landscape painting of the Grand Tour, intended to commemorate the formative journeys to Italy and Europe that were popular among young European aristocrats in the 18th and 19th centuries. Paper is often used as a base for these travel "postcards," as it is lighter and easier to carry. This painting depicts a glimpse of the Mediterranean countryside, with remains of classical antiquities. The work is presented in a contemporary gilded frame (restoration required due to damage and missing parts).

Crayons on cardboard. Elegant half-length figure of a woman seated in an armchair. The painting is presented in a contemporary gilded frame, which has minor losses and damage.

The Women of Cervara Rome

Oil on canvas. This high-quality painting is a replica of Hébert's 1856 work, exhibited at the Salon Carré in 1859 and at the Exposition Internationale de Champ de Mars in 1867. The work is currently on display at the Musée d'Orsay. The painting depicts three generations of women, symbolizing the three ages of life: childhood, youth, and old age. It depicts a little girl and two women walking under an archway to draw water. Hébert lived for several years in Cervara—an ancient village in the province of Rome, famous for its rock-carved figures—and in his work of folk subjects, he depicted the life and spirit of the villagers, in their everyday actions and their emotional feelings. The work presented here is framed in the same period.

Oil on oval panel. The painting reflects 18th-century pictorial styles: in a broad landscape with mountain peaks in the background, a river flows, flanked by houses; at the center of the scene, a stone bridge spans it, over which several figures walk, while other characters go about their daily tasks on the path or along the river itself. The painting is presented in a contemporary gilded wooden frame.

Oil on canvas. Portrait of a young woman with her dog, outdoors, against a vast river landscape. The painting, on the first canvas, shows traces of previous restorations. It is presented in a period frame.

The Proposal

Oil on canvas. The scene depicts a marriage proposal between two commoners and is a copy of the work by Eugène Von Blass (1843-1931) from 1887. The Italian-Austrian artist often depicted this theme, as well as other genre scenes of simple, everyday life. The work is presented in a period gilded frame.

Wooden Landscape with River

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. The painting is of considerable size, likely executed for a prestigious client. Eugenio Gignous established himself as a landscape painter, creating softly lit views and almost impressionistic atmospheres. The work is presented in a frame from the first half of the 20th century.

Oil on canvas. The title "Campagna romana" is an old pencil inscription on the back. A Grand Tour painting, it features a glimpse of a popular village featuring the remains of classical columns; several figures enliven the scene, while a small town can be seen in the background. The work is presented in a period frame.

Shepherd with Sheep

Ink on paper. Signed lower left. Neapolitan artist Filippo Palizzi, also known as "the painter of animals" is considered a revitalizer of 19th-century Neapolitan painting. Abandoning academic painting, following contemporary French experiences, Palizzi devoted himself to life studies, especially humble subjects, such as small landscapes and animal paintings, creating works of intense realism yet imbued with an intimate poetic tone. He stood out above all for the meticulous execution of the details of his portrayed subjects. Herds with shepherds are a recurring theme in his work, as in this small drawing. The work is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Artist unknown (inconsistent signature G. Induno at the bottom). Genre scene inside a rather humble home, in which an old man sitting on his bed welcomes the embrace of his visiting grandson. The tenderness of the gesture of affection and dedication between the two figures contrasts with the poverty of the dwelling. The painting is presented in a period frame.

Gathering

Watercolor on paper. Signed lower left. De Albertis devoted himself to the military-patriotic genre, producing a rich repertoire of battles, replicated in various variations, which gradually became his specialty. Later, he turned to watercolor, but military subjects, often featuring horses, continued to dominate his work. This watercolor, in fact, features two saddled but unridered horses, responding to the trumpet call—the rallying call—sounded by the rider at the head of the squadron, visible on the right. The work is presented in a frame.

Oil on canvas. The work, painted in the style of early 17th-century Spanish painting, is actually from the late 19th century. It depicts a noblewoman wearing a ruff, the stiff, decorative, pleated collar typical of both men's and women's clothing from the 16th and 17th centuries. The work has been previously restored and relined. It is presented in a mid-19th-century gilded frame, inserted into a larger 20th-century frame.

Oil on canvas. Signed and located on the lower left margin "Roma, Enrico Scifoni" The name of the sitter is cited at the lower left: "Signorina Maria Ciaffi". Scifoni was a Roman artist who was very active as a portraitist between 1870 and 1914. The young woman portrayed is dressed in a dress and hairstyle reminiscent of the fashions of the Empire period. The painting is presented in a 19th-century gilded frame, which requires restoration.

Oil on canvas. Trace of signature at the bottom. In a romantic vein, the painting depicts a small girl tenderly leaning on her large dog, with whom she exchanges a tender glance. The background is a garden, with a sky fading into the light of the distant sunset. The painting shows signs of previous restoration and relining. It is presented in an early 20th-century gilded frame.

Color lithographs. Painter and illustrator Marcus C. Stone made a name for himself with his soulful portraits and literary scenes. These two lithographs depict scenes set in the gardens of elegant villas, one depicting two couples engaged in romantic conversation, the other enjoying a tea ceremony. The two prints are presented in elegant contemporary gilded wood and fabric frames.

Tempera on pith paper. Chinese, Canton, Qing dynasty, ca. 1860. A collection of twenty-eight paintings depicting Chinese courtiers, scholars, and merchants. Originally kept in an album, they are presented here in a beautiful frame decorated with embroidered floral fabrics. Pith paper is a thin, translucent material derived from the pith of the Tetrapanax papyrifer tree, or "pith plant," native to China and Taiwan. Pith paper entered painting to meet the growing demand for small, inexpensive, and easily transportable souvenirs following the massive growth of trade with China in the first quarter of the 19th century. Because many were sold in albums and thus protected from light, they retain their vibrant colors even today.

Landscape with Flock and Shepherds

Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. This is likely Achille Dovera's largest work, presumably intended for an important patron. A small preparatory sketch on wood depicting the same scene has been sold on the market. In the center of the foreground, the work features a large flock of sheep walking along a path, accompanied by several shepherds. The animals emerge, enveloped in a great cloud of dust, from a passage through lush vegetation, in a flat countryside against the backdrop of mountain peaks. The Milanese painter Achille Dovera is considered a leading exponent of 19th-century naturalist and genre painting. A landscape painter, Dovera formally maintains a connection with phenomenal reality, which he reproduces with precision, even though color and light play a fundamental role; his rapid, moving brushstrokes lend freshness and immediacy to the scene without disrupting the forms. This large painting is presented in a beautiful, contemporary gilded wooden frame.

Wood Landscape with Figures, 1883

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. The landscape depicts a stream flowing through a shady coniferous forest; two boys are fishing with rural tools. The atmosphere is filled with light filtering through the thick, green trees. Tristan Lacroix distinguished himself for his naturalist style of painting and rural realism, which focused on the simple life and landscapes of everyday life. The painting is presented in a contemporary gilded frame.

Oil on canvas. Lacroix's signature is at the bottom left. On the beach, the fisherman, having pulled his boat ashore and rolled up the sails, which his companion carries on her shoulders, is offering his fresh catch to a woman equipped with a unique water transport and accompanied by a child. The work is naturalistic and realistic, offering a glimpse of rural life rich in detail and particulars, both in the figures and in the landscape and surrounding elements on the beach. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on panel. Northern European school, late 19th century. Inside a large, bare, yet bright, room with arched vaults, two men are playing dice; on a table to the side are their capes and hats, and beneath it a drum: it was probably a rest stop for soldiers and drummers. On the back of the work is a cartouche of participation in the 1892 Exposition Versaillese. The work is presented in a contemporary frame, with minor losses.