Swatch 100 Years of Cinema 1895-1995 Vintage Swizterland 1995 - Switzerland 1995

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.

The Involuntary Confession

Oil on canvas. This is a copy of a painting by Benjamin Vautier from 1881, sold at a Sotheby's auction in 1998. The Swiss artist specialized in popular genre scenes: in this painting, two young women walking along the path leading out of the little church behind them exchange secrets, unaware of the priest sitting reading his breviary on the bench behind the tree! The work is presented in a period 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.

Vase of Carnations

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. The Pisan artist was best known as an engraver (he taught engraving at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence) but also devoted himself to painting, which he achieved with remarkable originality and extraordinary poetic depth, using colors that he himself defined as "the colors of the soul". Although he favored popular subjects, flowers were also often the subject of his works, so much so that a section of a recent (2023) retrospective dedicated to him in Pisa was titled "The Colors and Flowers of the Soul". The work is presented in a contemporary frame.

Oil on canvas. Flemish School, 18th century. The work was attributed to the circle of Hendrick Mommers (1623-1693) at a Christie's auction in 1991. It features a classic architectural capriccio, a vast landscape featuring the ruins of a majestic classical building. This work also features numerous figures walking along the path in front of the ruins: a herdsman with his flock, a woman with a child, and a couple on a romantic stroll. The work is still on its original canvas and is in excellent condition. It is presented in a period gilded 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 signature G. Freye appears at the bottom left, which may attribute the work to Georg Hermann Freye (1844-1921), a Dresden artist known primarily for his religious and historical works. The genre scene draws on subjects and styles from 17th- and 18th-century Dutch painting. Set in a private home, it depicts a family meal, with the stern father speaking to his more light-hearted son, under the smiling and complicit gaze of his mother. The work is presented in a period frame.

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.

Fishing Boats

Color lithographs. Signed in pencil. The French painter and engraver Guinegault created numerous views and landscapes, both of Paris and the coasts of northern France, often featuring fishermen. The two lithographs are presented in bamboo frames from the 1960s.