19th CENTURY PAINTINGS

Portrait of a Young Woman

Oil on panel. Signed lower left. Parisian painter Edouard D'Otemar primarily established himself as a portraitist of female figures, whom he painted with nuanced chromatic effects and impressionist-style lighting. The work is presented in an early 20th-century frame, with some missing parts.

Oil on canvas. Among the rocks on a mountain slope, a basin of water opens up, where two hunters are drinking; at the top stands a village, while in the background, the plain and other mountain peaks fade into the clouds. Already restored and relined in the past, it is currently in good condition. Presented in an early 20th-century frame.

Landscape with Shepherdess and Sheep

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. Jean Ferdinand Chaigneau was a painter of the Barbizon school, a realist landscape movement in Northern France. Here is one of his characteristic canvases featuring flocks of sheep in evocative landscapes, often with morning or evening light effects. The work is presented in an early 20th-century frame.

Oil on canvas. Signed WV Tippel and dated '86 on the lower left. It harks back to an English artist by whom another English farm scene is known. In this flat, verdant landscape, a stream flows in the foreground, crossed by a small stone bridge over which several cows, followed by a shepherd boy, pass. On the left, emerging from behind the trees, stands a tall Gothic-style building with tall windows, likely a country church. The work is presented in a contemporary frame, which requires restoration.

Oil on canvas. Northern European School, late 19th-early 20th century. Characteristic genre scene, set on the beach near a small port: a small family passing by with a donkey stops to inspect the fresh fish the elderly woman is offering; to the side, a young man sits on the ground, petting his dog; perhaps he is the young fisherman! The painting is presented in a period frame.

Composition with Roses

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. A large bouquet of roses overflows from a crystal goblet vase, placed in front of a mirror. The work is presented in a mid-20th-century frame.

Portrait of a Woman in a Red Dress

Oil on canvas. The work features a half-length close-up of a female figure, corresponding to the red-haired model repeatedly painted by Jean-Jacques Henner, the French painter to whom a plaque on the frame attributes the work. Indeed, the pictorial style fully reflects that of the French painter, who established himself as a portraitist in Paris in the second half of the 19th century. The painting is presented in a frame contemporary with the teal, as is the metal plaque attributing it.

Gouache on paper. 19th-century Neapolitan school. View of the city of Sorrento, taken from the coastal road south of the city, with two wayfarers walking at sunset. Traditional Grand Tour reproduction. Presented in a late 19th-century frame, with missing parts.

Portrait of a Child

Mixed media on paper. Signed and dated lower right (date partially obscured by white chalk). A leading exponent of 19th-century Lombard painting, always tied to a love of "realism," Pompeo Mariani was also known as the "Italian Impressionist" due to the influence of French Impressionism and the cultural and other experiences that defined the Belle Époque, a period in which the artist lived between Milan, Bordighera, Nice, and Monte Carlo. He created several portraits, including those of prominent figures. The painting is presented in a period frame.

Shipwreck Scene

Oil on cardboard. The work is likely a preparatory sketch for the painting by José Navarro y Llorens, with an identical subject, sold at the Duran public auction in Madrid in 2025. It depicts a shipwrecked boat on the shore during a violent storm. Navarro y Llorens, one of the most important Valencian painters of the late 19th century, created landscapes and numerous seascapes, often featuring shipwreck scenes, characterized by an Impressionist use of color. The work is presented in a period frame.

Interior Scene with Figures

Mixed media on paper. Signed in pencil on the back. Pietro Michis specialized in genre scenes, often in "historical" or antique-style settings, such as this curious and amusing scene: in her room, a lady, assisted by her nurse or lady-in-waiting, is attempting to write a letter, with fragments scattered on the floor indicating her unsatisfactory attempts, while behind the screen, the letter's recipient's servant waits, yawning. The work is presented in a period frame.

Farmhouse with Commoner and Ducks

Oil on panel. Signed and located at Rome lower right. Domenico Pennacchini specialized in genre scenes, often set in ancient Rome, but many with rural subjects, like this work, depicting moments from the daily life of Roman peasants. The work is presented in an early 20th-century frame.

Pordenone 1921

Oil on cardboard. Signed lower left. On the back, a further signature, title, date, and the words "Esposto Galleria Geri" appear in pencil. Vittore Antonio Cargnel, father of Lucio Cargnel, was primarily a landscape painter, particularly the author of evocative views of Treviso and thrilling glimpses of Friuli, his native land. He is considered the exponent of intimate landscape painting, for his ability to capture landscapes in the immediacy of atmospheric changes, often on small panels, so as not to miss the moment of a particular lighting condition responsible for the impression made on the artist. In this small work, the view of the city is animated by the numerous figures that populate the town street. The work is presented in a contemporary frame.

Still Life with Tea Set, 1931

Oil on canvas. On the back is the signature "P. Grilli pinx (it) dal vero", the location Cesena, and the date 1831 (incorrect due to the 8th century instead of the 9th). Paolo Grilli was a painter and art enthusiast from Cesena, who distinguished himself above all for his portraits, in a veristic style. He also created still lifes and landscapes. The painting is presented in a gilded 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).

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.

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. 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.

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.