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GIUSEPPE MAZZOLINI (1806–1876). VIRGINIA. ITALY, ROME, 1874
GIUSEPPE MAZZOLINI (1806–1876). VIRGINIA. ITALY, ROME, 1874
The present work represents a refined and high-quality example of Academic painting of the second half of the 19th century, focused on the idealized female figure and the poetic language of salon contemplation. The young woman is placed within an intimate coastal landscape at twilight. The composition is structured around a calm diagonal of the body and a gentle inclination of the head, creating an atmosphere of inner silence and concentration. Moonlight acts as the principal compositional element, softly illuminating the shoulder, neckline, and facial profile before dissolving into the half-tones of the background and reflections on the water.The painterly technique is grounded in strict academic draftsmanship and subtle glazing. The modeling of the body reveals careful anatomical precision combined with an idealizing smoothness of form. Drapery plays a significant decorative role: the warm red and pink textiles establish the chromatic focus of the composition, set against the subdued brown and green tones of the landscape. The balanced interplay of light and shadow reinforces the nocturnal, humid atmosphere and enhances the refined salon character of the image.Overall, the painting may be regarded as an authorial variation on an Academic motif closely aligned with the French tradition, in which harmony of silhouette, nobility of pose, and emotional restraint prevail over narrative drama.Marks: Signed “MAZZOLINI” in the lower part of the painting; inscriptions on the reverse of the canvas; old collection label on the reverse of the frame.Dimensions: 95 × 69 cm.Material: Oil on canvas.Condition: Good collectible condition.Provenance: According to the old label on the reverse of the frame: “Virginia / Bought at Rome / 1874”.
Begins 03.05.2026
NUDE. WILLIAM ETTY (1787 - 1849) ENGLAND, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
NUDE. WILLIAM ETTY (1787 - 1849) ENGLAND, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
A refined example of early 19th-century English academic painting, embodying one of the central themes in the oeuvre of William Etty - the study of the human form through the lens of Classical tradition. The composition is constructed along a diagonal axis: the reclining nude figure is placed freely upon a stone ledge partially covered with drapery, creating an atmosphere of natural ease and painterly spontaneity.The heroine is gently illuminated, her skin rendered in delicate pearlescent tones characteristic of Etty’s technique, in which sensuality is balanced by academic discipline. The surrounding landscape, suggestive of an English park with dense foliage and an opening vista, enhances the Romantic atmosphere of secluded idyll. Nature and beauty are united in a harmonious visual dialogue, echoing the poetic sensibility that marked the transition from late Neoclassicism to early Romanticism.For Etty, the nude was never a provocation but the highest embodiment of artistic ideal, rooted in the Venetian tradition of the sixteenth century. His admiration for Titian and Veronese informed his mastery of colour and layered glazing, producing a luminous surface and a palpable richness of paint.On the reverse of the canvas appears the supplier’s stamp of Roberson & Miller, 51 Long Acre, London, a distinguished 19th-century London colorman whose materials were widely used by leading British artists. Additional collector and auction labels further attest to the painting’s presence within the art market.Dimensions: 45.5 x 57.5 cm (without frame).Material: Oil on canvas.Condition: Good collector’s condition. The paint layer is stable, with natural age-related craquelure consistent with the period. No evidence of intrusive restoration is visible.Provenance: Private European collection. Owner’s stamps and auction numbers on the reverse.
Begins 03.05.2026
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