PAINTINGS ONLINE | ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY - Page 4

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.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian school, early 18th century. A landscape of rocky hills features a village of turreted buildings, rising near the seashore, visible in the background on the right. In the foreground, along a small coastal inlet, popular life is bustling, with numerous figures engaged in various activities. The painting shows signs of previous restoration and relining; the crack is currently well-defined, but the color is still intact. The painting is presented in an antique frame, with minor losses.

Oil on chestnut panel. Central European school, 16th century. The traditional scene shows the Baby Jesus, in the arms of his Mother, with whom he exchanges a tender gaze, preparing to slip the wedding ring onto the finger of Catherine of Alexandria, symbolizing the mystical marriage the young saint desired to enter into with the Divine Child. The saint is depicted, as per her customary iconography, wearing a crown and regal robes and jewels, to emphasize her princely origins. The painting is likely the work of a Flemish artist inspired by Italian models of the 15th and 16th centuries. The panel shows signs of previous restoration.

Multiplo in Feltro 1974

Collage of felt fragments on panel. Signed and dated on the back, with serial number no. 28/75. Dorazio paints abstract-geometric paintings, developing various forms over the years: after an initial production of monochromatic works, he introduced color in the early 1960s, creating geometric compositions on large, free-form patterns, with layers of flat colors. From the second half of the 1960s, he worked on dynamic formal situations enclosed in horizontal grids; from the 1970s, he thickened the texture with minimal, still horizontal, lines of color and line, using various materials. Framed.

Figure in Landscape 1920

Oil on canvas. Signature, date, and location (Venice) at lower left. Work by the Venetian artist Giovanni Caldana, who established himself as a portraitist. Presented here is a portrait of a man in walking attire against the backdrop of Alpine mountain slopes. The work is presented in a period frame.

Big New Year's Eve Party 1960

Mixed media on paper. Signed and dated lower right. A humorous and ironic presentation of the menu for the 1960 New Year's Eve party, by the renowned Russian set designer, painter, and illustrator Nicola Benois, who was the chief set designer at Milan's Teatro Alla Scala from 1935. The work includes a photo of a thank-you note that accompanied the piece, addressed to the friend with whom the artist shared the party. Framed work.

The Man in the Kitchen

Mixed media on paper. Signed lower center. The renowned Russian set designer, painter, and illustrator Nicola Benois, who was the chief set designer at Milan's Teatro Alla Scala from 1935, contributed some of his drawings in 1977 to illustrate Francesco de' Rogati's book, "La cucina dell' uomo solo" (SM editore, 1977). The original drawing, which later served as the cover illustration for the text, printed in a smaller format, is shown here. Framed.

The Man in the Kitchen

Mixed media on paper. Signed lower center. The renowned Russian set designer, painter, and illustrator Nicola Benois, who was the chief set designer at Milan's Teatro alla Scala from 1935, contributed some of his drawings in 1977 to illustrate Francesco de' Rogati's book, "La cucina dell'uomo solo" (SM editore, 1977). Presented here is an original drawing, which was later used as an illustration for the text, printed in a smaller format. Framed.

The Man in the Kitchen

Mixed media on paper. Signed lower center. The renowned Russian set designer, painter, and illustrator Nicola Benois, who was the chief set designer at Milan's Teatro Alla Scala from 1935, contributed some of his drawings in 1977 to illustrate Francesco de' Rogati's book,"La cucina dell' uomo solo" (SM editore, 1977). Presented here is an original drawing, which was later used as an illustration for the text, printed in a smaller format. Framed.

Sketch

Pencil on paper. Signed lower right. Emilio Scanavino, a painter and sculptor originally from Genoa, began his career as a figurative artist, then developed post-cubist characteristics into his work, with forms that gradually became more stylized until they completely dissolved in the early 1950s. Framed.

Sketch for the "Aida" 1974

Charcoal on paper. Signed and dated lower right, with the name of the sitter. Accompanied by a photo certificate from the General Catalogue and Archive of the artist's works. This work is by the prominent Italian painter Remo Brindisi, whose painting, based on a descriptive and realistic approach in his early works, added expressionist nuances in his later works, giving rise to his own neo-figurative language. His work is always imbued with social and political intentions. Brindisi also worked as a sculptor, illustrator, writer, set designer, and cultural curator. His collaboration on the grandiose sets and costumes for the 1974 production of Aida at the Verona Arena was particularly noteworthy, a sketch of which is presented here. The work is presented framed.

Sketches for "Aida" 1974

Charcoal on paper. Signed and dated lower right, with the name of the sitter (for Amneris). Accompanied by a photo-certificate from the General Catalogue and Archive of the artist's works. This work is by the prominent Italian painter Remo Brindisi, whose painting, based on a descriptive and realistic approach in his early works, added expressionist nuances in his later works, giving rise to his own neo-figurative language. His work is always imbued with social and political intentions. Brindisi also worked as a sculptor, illustrator, writer, set designer, and cultural curator. His collaboration on the grandiose sets and costumes for the 1974 production of Aida at the Verona Arena was particularly noteworthy; a sketch for Princess Amneris is presented here. The work is presented in a frame.

Sketch for the costumes of "Aida", 1974

Charcoal on paper. Signed and dated lower right, with the name of the character (the King in Act I). Accompanied by a photo-certificate from the General Catalogue and Archive of the artist's works. It is the work of the prominent Italian painter Remo Brindisi, whose painting, based on a descriptive and realistic approach in his early works, added expressionist nuances in his later works, giving rise to his own neo-figurative language. His work is always imbued with social and political intentions. Brindisi also worked as a sculptor, illustrator, writer, set designer, and cultural curator. His collaboration on the grandiose sets and costumes for the 1974 production of Aida at the Verona Arena was particularly noteworthy; a sketch for the character of the King is presented here. The work is presented in a frame.

Sketch for the costumes of "Aida", 1974

Charcoal on paper. Signed and dated lower right, with the name of the sitter (for Amneris). Accompanied by a photo-certificate from the General Catalogue and Archive of the artist's works. This work is by the prominent Italian painter Remo Brindisi, whose painting, based on a descriptive and realistic approach in his early works, added expressionist nuances in his later works, giving rise to his own neo-figurative language. His work is always imbued with social and political intentions. Brindisi also worked as a sculptor, illustrator, writer, set designer, and cultural curator. His collaboration on the grandiose sets and costumes for the 1974 production of Aida at the Verona Arena was particularly noteworthy; a sketch for Princess Amneris is presented here. The work is presented in a frame.

Horse in a 1950s Landscape

Marker on rice paper, glued to cardboard. Signed at the bottom. Below is a dedication from the artist (Greetings dear - Aligi). The work is accompanied by a photo certificate from the Sassu Foundation, archive number PNV49. The protagonist of this drawing is once again the horse, the artist's favorite animal. He was fascinated by the energy and dynamic strength of these animals, which represented life itself and freedom, which Sassu expressed through the twisting of their figures. Sassu's works, which include painting, sculpture, and ceramics, showcase the power of horses in scenes of racing, battles, or immersed in nature, often with an emphasis on dynamism and plastic energy. Framed work.

Cat, 1969

Pencil on paper. Signed and dated at the top, with the location Rome. The drawing was part of a letter Gentilini signed to Elena Pelizzoni as a receipt for the deposit for a three-color drawing for a ceramic plate that would be part of the series later produced by the "Ceramica Fiori Oscuri" group with the collaboration of contemporary artists. A photocopy of the entire letter is attached. The drawing comes from a private collection in Milan. Framed.

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.

Child on Horseback

Oil on canvas. Signed MAGO lower right. Maurizio Goracci, aka Mago, is a Roman painter of figurative subjects, with figures that, though well-defined, are always set against a surreal background, shaded in acidic palettes, lending a sense of the fantastic. A recurring theme is a figure on horseback, this time a child, whose face and extremities are recognizable, while the entire body, as well as the horse's silhouette, are covered in bright, floral fabrics, standing out against the undefined, dark background. The work is presented in a frame.

Landscape with Figures and Cattle

Oil on canvas. The work, signed Sorolla lower right and dated 1928, harks back to the style of Joaquim Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923), the renowned Valencian painter who chose to reflect the Mediterranean light in the everyday scenes of his city, in a unique style known as luminism. His works are characterized by their plein air painting, depicting simple people often framed in fishing and sea scenes, capturing customs and traditions, as well as the freedom with which they reflect light and color. In particular, the urban beaches of Valencia, animated by numerous figures, including bathers and others, were a recurring setting in many of his paintings. In this work, the scene is indeed that of a beach, where figures with some cattle pass by, while beached boats and bathers can be glimpsed in the background. The work, which is effectively pictorial, despite being very close to Sorolla's manner and style, is not recognized as authentic by the artist's official archive. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. 19th-century Northern European school. In the scene, set on a barren, snow-covered plain with a frozen river flowing through it, a large horse-drawn sleigh is parked on the bank, carrying several people: a woman with a child in her arms is preparing to climb aboard, watched by the driver, while another female figure, holding her child by the hand, walks away across the ice. It looks like a Nordic public transport stop! The work is presented in a late-19th-century frame, which has several missing or damaged parts.

Oil on metal plaque. Delicate portrait of a child, presented in a contemporary embossed and gilded metal frame.