catalog text
TROMPE L’OEIL WITH PORTRAITS INCLUDING BEATRICE CENCI, A LANDSCAPE AND STAMPS BY FRANCESCO ALEGIANI
Signed “Francesco Alegiani” lower right, “Studio via Ludo visit N.36 P2 Roma” lower left, unframed
Item # 609ZRL19Q
Active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Francesco Alegiani developed a distinct style in producing genre scenes employing optical illusion to create false depth with three-dimensional layering while also exploring texture and light manipulation. The present example shows a pinned study of the Portrait of Beatrice Cenci by G. Reni with a piece of transparent vellum to trace the work stuck on either side of the portrait. A handful of small studies are tucked behind the portrait of a young woman, over which is tacked a piece of sketching paper with a lightly traced portrait of a mother with her son; the edge of the paper is inscribed “Time is money” and is signed somewhat illegibly “…Gennajo 1898 Roma”. The lower third is a large landscape painting with ruins in the Italian countryside with sheep grazing in the pasture while a small family watches over a fire. These are all taxed into three vertical pine boards, the lower right edge signed in script “Francesco Allegiani” and the lower left edge reading “Studio via Ludo visi N. 36 P.2 Roma”. The upper left corner is also inscribed but this is too faint to clearly make out beyond “…Portrait on Canvas…of…for…”. Stamps from the United States, France, Germany and Guatemala are stuck to the pine panels throughout. It is a most interesting and finely detailed work.
Further Reading:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. I, Gründ, 2006, p. 271
- Similar auction result: Christies, Sale 2416, 8-9 February 2011, Lot 38, a highly similar example of identical dimensions, achieved $ 8,125 USD
Measurements: 39 3/4” H x 29 3/4” W
Condition Report:
Conserved in the last two decades, surface clean and in beautiful condition; relined. Scattered retouching to edge wear, a few spots of touch up in pine background; some minor edge loss. Attractive craquelure throughout.