Price
- USD
Catalogue categories

Paintings

PLAYING WITH CATS. ALEXANDER RIZZONI (1836 - 1902) RUSSIA - ITALY, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
PLAYING WITH CATS. ALEXANDER RIZZONI (1836 - 1902) RUSSIA - ITALY, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
An intimate genre composition defined by a subtle interplay of light and shadow, characteristic of Alexander Rizzoni’s artistic circle. Within the dim interior of what appears to be a vegetable cellar, a young boy is depicted playing with several cats. Concealing a bundle of turnips behind his back, he teases a cat perched upon a worn barrel. A narrow shaft of light penetrates through a small window, illuminating the child’s gesture and animated expression, while the warm ochre and brown tonalities enhance the atmosphere of humble domesticity.Despite its apparent simplicity, the scene carries a nuanced layer of social observation consistent with Russian Realism of the second half of the nineteenth century. The artist avoids overt dramatization, instead focusing on the quiet dignity of childhood. The modest amusements of impoverished youth become a reflection on resilience and innate vitality. Compassion and contemplative distance coexist within the composition, revealing the dual influence of the Russian academic tradition and Italian genre painting.Signed lower right.The work is attributed to Alexander Rizzoni (Alessandro Rizzoni, 1836 - 1902) on the basis of stylistic analysis, compositional structure, and painterly execution consistent with his genre works of the 1870s and 1880s.Dimensions: 41 x 33 cmMaterial: Oil on canvasCondition: Good. The paint surface is stable. Minor age-related wear consistent with the period.Provenance: Private European collection
17393 USD
STATE PORTRAIT OF EMPEROR ALEXANDER I RUSSIA, FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
STATE PORTRAIT OF EMPEROR ALEXANDER I RUSSIA, FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
A waist-length state portrait of Emperor Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), depicted en face. The monarch is shown in full military dress with richly decorated epaulettes and orders, including the star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and other highest decorations of the Russian Empire. His right hand rests upon a book of laws, symbolising the supremacy of law over autocracy and echoing the Emperor’s image as a reformer. The composition features an architectural background with a column and heavy red drapery, enhancing the grandeur of the scene.The pose and composition closely follow the famous lifetime portrait of Alexander I painted in 1814 by Russian artist Roman Maksimovich Volkov (1776–1831) during the Emperor’s visit to London, and engraved by British master Henry Hoppner Meyer (1782–1847). This iconography was widely disseminated in Europe and Russia through engravings and served as a model for official and state portraits such as this one. The presence of the book of laws directly reflects Volkov’s original concept as transmitted through Meyer’s engraving, underlining the reformist symbolism of the image.The lavish gilded frame is surmounted by a sculptural finial in the form of the Imperial Crown, suggesting an official or institutional origin. The crown finial shows traces of early restoration.Dimensions: 90 × 72 cm (framed: height 130 cm, width 94 cm)Material: Oil on canvasCondition: Good preservation, with natural patina of age.Provenance: Probably created for an official hall or administrative institution in the first half of the 19th century, based on the engraved portrait by Volkov/Meyer of 1814.
7537 USD
Subscribe to our newsletter
Never miss new auctions
Subscribe

Your latest views