ANCIENT PAINTING

Oil on canvas. Northern European school of the 18th century. Near a small group of buildings, along the dirt road, a scene of popular life takes place, animated by various figures: in the foreground on the right, two hunters offer their prey and some fruit to a pregnant woman, who is traveling on horseback accompanied by her companion; in the background, a couple of women sit on the ground resting with their children, one of the two is breastfeeding; and again groups of people chatting, while others are climbing on the haystacks covered under the barn. The figures stand out for the bright colors of their clothes against the almost monochromatic background of earth tones, with the buildings blending into the flat and barren landscape. The painting, still on the first canvas, shows signs of a small tear on the back. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Second half of the 18th century. On the back there is a hand-written cartouche, dated May 1835 and indicating several important families (Castelbarchi, Fraganeschi, Castelbarco Litta Albani) from Northern Italy, who probably owned the work. The painting shows a Nordic landscape, with rocky peaks visible on the left, in which architectural ruins are inserted, with figures of wayfarers passing nearby. The painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Central European school of the eighteenth century. Under a blue sky, a large, rather barren landscape is depicted, with the edge of a wood opening onto a rocky valley, with a river flowing between the rocks and snow-capped peaks in the background; in the foreground, scattered, some figures of shepherds with their flocks. On the stretcher at the back of the work, a cartouche refers to Poussin, the artist representing seventeenth-century classicism whose pictorial methods inspired the author of the painting. The painting, relined, is presented in a period frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Italian school of the eighteenth century. Within a rather barren landscape, with architectural ruins on the left and snow-capped peaks in the background on the right, some shepherds pass along the path, leading their flocks of cows, sheep and goats. In the Nordic landscape setting, the pinkish hue of the sky and the pastoral character of the scene give that idealistic atmosphere typical of eighteenth-century landscape painting, in which the satisfaction of feeling prevailed rather than the intention of realistic transposition. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. The landscape of a countryside rich in vegetation and in the background a mountain range of sharp peaks opens up, is animated by the presence of three washerwomen, who are going to the river with wheelbarrows full of clothes, while a traveler crosses the small bridge that crosses the small stream. The work is executed in the style of Antonio Peruzzini (1650 - 1724), probably by one of his students or followers. Peruzzini was a key figure in landscape painting of the 17th-18th century, in which he started from a 17th-century expression to then arrive at an interpretation of the movement and color typical of the Rococo, using lighter and brighter tones and inserting a sort of vitality in his paintings. The use of color is particular, especially in the hatching of the human figures, which are outlined by thick brushstrokes of material, which make them emerge in the foreground from the landscape. The painting has already been restored and relined in the past, and is currently in good condition. It is presented in a style frame.

Oil on canvas. Central European school of the 18th century. At the center of the scene, set in a landscape rich in vegetation, is a shepherd with his flock of sheep, captured in a moment of rest; behind them is the farmhouse with the stable. On the back there is a collection label and the word "Tedesco" (German) is hand-written on the frame, probably to indicate the provenance. The painting is on the first canvas, with the original frame and contemporary frame, regilded.

The Monks Lunch

Oil on canvas. Genoese school of the eighteenth century. Inside a large room with arched windows opening onto the street, a group of friars seated on the ground are sharing a simple meal, placed on a white cloth. The scene refers to the sphere of Alessandro Magnasco known as Lissandrino (1667 -1749), a Genoese artist considered one of the most original painters of the Italian eighteenth century, who distinguished himself in popular genre painting and, in particular, in the production of scenes from the life of Capuchin or Camaldolese friars engaged in the most varied activities, from studying in the library to confession, from the work of sharpeners or carpenters in the convent workshops to the simple recollection around the fire: in these works you can appreciate all the expressive freedom of the artist\'s brush. moves on the canvas with quick touches to describe flames, fireplaces, cats, books, dogs, poor bowls, lenses, books, poor patched clothes, chairs and stools, in short, a whole daily world of gestures and things built with a very special and unmistakable technique, made of a mixture of lively color and almost all played on monochrome, on which a few, skilful strokes of light descend to give shape and consis tence to the bony figures of the monks. The author of the work proposed here was certainly trained in the Magnasco area and was inspired by his style, although it is more sedate, without the flashes and interpretative freedom, often irreverent or ironic, towards the figures of the friars; he was able to take up the play of chiaroscuro, lights and shadows, which flow from a monochrome in the shades of browns, still creating a work of excellent pictorial quality. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a gilded frame from the early 1900s.

Rest on the Flight into Egypt

Oil painting on canvas. XVIII -XIX century. The sacred theme in this scene takes on a familiar connotation, full of very earthly tenderness and intimacy: in an almost exotic context, which evokes an oasis in the desert for palm trees and a spring of water in a barren and hilly landscape. bare, Joseph and Mary sit to rest during their flight to Egypt, to escape the persecution of Herod; the mother tenderly holds baby Jesus on her knees, looks at him tenderly and swaddles him, while Joseph observes them pleased and relaxed. The whole scene is characterized by the dominance of brown-ocher colors, from which only Maria's dress differs, in her traditional blue and red colors; in the background, a clear sky in the colors of a dawn that has just dawned, with shades of pink. The canvas was applied on a new frame from the mid-1900s and placed in a frame from the same period, which has some shortcomings.

Oil on canvas. In the landscape, which offers a vast plain with mountain peaks in the distance, there are classical architectural ruins in the center, opposite some structures from a later period, from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, also abandoned; several figures of wayfarers pass along the path, bringing the vestiges of the past to life. On the back of the frame there is an old label attributing it to Antonio Visentini (1688 -1782), a Venetian artist who distinguished himself for the production of perspectives with architectural capricci and figures. The painting, already subjected to restoration and relining in the past, is presented in a late 19th century frame.

Oil on canvas. Central European school of the 18th century. The vast Nordic landscape, rich in vegetation, is crossed by a small stream, along which, in the foreground, a herd of cows is drinking; in particular, the shepherd who, kneeling on the bank, is reciting a prayer; two other wayfarers not far away are observing him. On the back there is a collection cartouche and the word "German" is hand-written on the frame, probably to indicate the provenance. The painting is on the first canvas, with the original frame and contemporary frame, regilded.

The Drinker

Oil on canvas. The painting harks back in its pictorial methods and subject to the production of Giacomo Francesco Cipper, known as Todeschini, an artist of Austrian origins who established himself in Milan. He was a specialist in market scenes, open-air concerts, card players, and scenes of humble daily life created with laughing caricatures and a search for comic effect. As in this work, which portrays a commoner, intent on drinking wine: despite the poverty that shines through his clothes, the man appears cheerful and laughing, perhaps due to excessive drinking, to represent not the desolation but the vitality and fun of daily life, however miserable. The painting has been restored and relined and features, on the back of the frame, a small cartouche with details of the restoration carried out. It is presented in a readjusted antique frame.

Oil on canvas. The noblewoman is richly dressed, with an elegant red cape resting on her shoulders, which leaves the lace-trimmed dress uncovered; her hair is embellished with pearls. At the top right of the canvas, the coat of arms of the woman's family also appears: tripartite, it features two rampant and crowned lions facing each other, surmounted by a plausibly floral decoration. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil on panel. The scene captures the Holy Family probably during the flight into Egypt, in a moment of rest during the journey; in fact, in addition to the figures of the family, an angel appears at the bottom, recognizable by the hinted wings, who offers a plate with food, from which Joseph has already taken some cherries, as the apocryphal versions of the gospels tell. The panel has some small woodworm holes. It is presented in an early 1900s frame.

Oil on canvas. The scene tells the evangelical episode of the healing of the man born blind by Jesus. At the center of the scene, Jesus is performing the miracle, touching the eyes of the man, who shows his faith with an attitude of prayer, as narrated in the Gospel of John: "Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, spread the mud on the eyes of the blind man and said to him: «Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam». He went, washed and came back seeing." The supporting characters are particular: on the left some figures spy on the event, hidden behind a column; on the right the group of apostles in the second line can be recognized by their physiognomic features Peter and John -, while a man in front of them observes the scene through a magnifying glass: This instrument usually symbolizes the spirit of research, perhaps here the rational research that does not allow one to look with the eyes of faith and obtain the miracle. The painting has been restored and relined.

Oil on canvas. The painting, restored and relined, has a small hole in the upper left. It is presented in a period frame from the early 1900s.

Oil on canvas. The scene depicts the Holy Family accompanied by St. John the Baptist and another saint kneeling before the Baby Jesus, who is conversing with them while sitting on his mother's lap; Mary, on the other hand, is turned backwards, observing the carpentry work that her husband Joseph is doing, intent on chiseling. The adult saint who stands next to St. John the Baptist, and who occupies the left half of the scene, to underline his importance for the client, has no particular iconographic signs, even if his physiognomy could refer to St. Peter. The scene is set outside a marble palace, in an Italian landscape. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a late 19th century frame.

Landscape with Water and Shepherds

Oil on canvas. In a green hilly countryside, where a stream flows, some shepherds sit whistling in the shade of the trees, while they check the flock that is drinking. Thick dark clouds gather in the sky. The style recalls the production of Marco Ricci, a painter from Belluno who became famous for his undoubted talent for naturalistic and architectural representation. His landscapes, still of a distinctly seventeenth-century taste, are already lit up by powerful and emotional lights, by dry and twisted trees, rocks and towers, cumulus clouds that suddenly break into vague flashes of blue, a complex repertoire that transfigures nature into a dramatic and restless representation. He became a point of reference for several other artists contemporary to him, who took up his style, as in this work. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.

Winter Landscape with Figures

Oil on canvas. In a wintry countryside landscape, sprinkled with snow, on the bare, dark, arid nature, a path winds through completely bare trees that leads to the village, and some wayfarers pass along it, while on the side some woodcutters are at work. A sky full of dark clouds looms over everything, although on the left there is a patch of blue. The style harks back to the production of Marco Ricci, a painter from Belluno who made a name for himself for his undoubted talent for naturalistic and architectural representation. His landscapes, still of a distinctly seventeenth-century taste, are already lit up by powerful and emotional lights, by dry and twisted trees, rocks and towers, cumulus clouds that suddenly break apart into vague flashes of blue, a complex repertoire that transfigures nature into a dramatic and restless representation. He became a point of reference for several other artists contemporary to him, who took up his style, as in this work. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Venetian school of the 18th century. The landscape, rather barren and with snow-capped mountain peaks in the background, frames in the foreground a family of shepherds, sitting to rest on the edge of the road outside the village, while their herd drinks from the nearby stream; in the meantime they converse and ask directions to the commoner who passes by on the path with her basket under her arm. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Venetian school of the 18th century. Large landscape of pre-Alpine hills, crossed by a stream that reaches the mill in the right foreground, while numerous figures of commoners animate the path that leads to the building, busy with various occupations; in particular, in the center foreground, the two fishermen with their nets stand out. Formerly attributed to Giuseppe Zais (1709 -1784), a Venetian painter who became famous for his large landscapes animated by figures, characterized by an airy luminosity and a care in the description of nature. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an early 20th century frame.

Oil on canvas. Lively naturalistic composition of multicolored flowers in blue ceramic vases, which recall the sky color of the upper part of the background, which then fades into an earthy color in the lower part; on the left a parrot stands out for its unusual dark color. The painting has slight color losses, especially in the background. It is presented in a contemporary regilded frame.

Oil on canvas, applied to a wooden plate. The Saint is depicted in the foreground, half-length: the naked torso of the body is partially covered by a fur falling from the shoulders, on which her long hair stretches; the Magdalene keeps her eyes turned to the sky, in a contemplative state, in her hands the skull, Memento mori, and next to it a crust of bread, her only nourishment in the life of penance. Behind the figure is a dark background, from which a beam of light emerges to create a halo around her head and accentuate the pathos of her expression. The painting has slight color nuances, especially along the right margin. It is presented in a frame in style,

Oil on canvas. Flemish school of the 17th century. On the back there is a collector's cartouche. In a hilly landscape of rocks and clumps of trees, overlooking a small village on the left, a stream flows to form a foaming waterfall; on the banks some figures of peasants in transit or in conversation; on the right stands out the bird with the long tail, perched on a dry shrub. In the background, the hills fade into the sky full of clouds. The painting is presented in a regilded frame from the late 19th century.