Ancient Painting A. Rizzi Mythological Subject Oil on Cardboard '800 - Wood Nymphs

Woven from bark and decorated. Splendid example of art-craftsmanship, which refers to one of the most ancient methods to obtain clothes without resorting to weaving or weaving, but using the internal bark of certain species of trees. It’s a method that’s been practiced in Central Africa, in Southeast Asia, in Japan, in North America and from Mesoamerica to the Andes, to the Amazon and the Great Chaco regions. The term Tapa denotes in particular all the bark tissues of Oceania, but in reality it is a word native to Fiji. Depending on the area where these bark tissues are produced, different tree species are used: while in Africa the fig tree is used, in Indonesia and in the Pacific islands the bark most used is that of the paper mulberry tree, with which the highest quality fabrics are produced, which remain white and can be decorated in different ways. If once the bark fabric was worn daily, even simply wrapped around the body, over the centuries it has been replaced by cotton, but still today it is preferred to western fabrics for ritual and ceremonial occasions; above all, these fabrics continue to be important goods of exchange, gifts of value in occasions of births, birthdays, marriages (with exchanges between the relatives of the groom and those of the bride), funerals and ceremonial presentations to the royal family. Added to this is the production generated by the thriving tourist market of this fabric. The tapa presented here is decorated with repeated geometric motifs, which evoke the huts and the village road. The upper edge is not straight, but shaped with large triangular fringes. It is placed on a panel covered with a plexiglass case.

Oil painting on canvas. The large landscape foreshortening offers a view of a lake enclosed by mountain peaks, which evoke Lake Como; in the foreground, on the slope from which the view opens, a corner of the garden with buried flowers and potted plants, to create a corner of color in contrast with the dominant ranges of blue and green. The painting has a small patch on the back. It is presented in a stylish frame.

Tempera on canvas, Mid 20th century. The four large decorative panels are shaped to delimit a central hole for the chandelier. They are decorated with a leaf wreat motif, with fruit and ribbons, which, when the panels are mounted together, makes up a crown; there is also a putto, playing on the wreat, on every panel. The motif is of neoclassical taste. The whole decoration measures 350x240cm.

Ethiopian art, c. 1935

The canvas depicts the meeting between the queen of Sheba and king Solomon. The queen is represented seated on a throne, in the center of the scene, and to the left appears the following, which brings rich gifts to the king. Solomon is sitting on his throne, characterised by the image of the lion on the side, behind him entered his court. In the underlying part, the musicians emphasize the character of the feast of the meeting. It is part of a group of seven works, which arrived in Italy at the end of the '30s; were purchased directly on-site , as we have reconstructed from the correspondence and from the family photos, from the lawyer xxx, grandfather of the owners, who was sent as a legal representative of a company of Italian production in 1935 in Ethiopia, and from here it was driven out in 1938 by general Graziani, because it was considered anti-fascist. The paintings remained in the family collection, in the palace of the family, and are now presented in all their expressive force. Ethiopia has a very particular history: it is situated between Africa and Asia, and between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, was a crossroads and meeting point of different cultures, stimulated also by the constant and intense trade flows. Five centuries before Christ, stabilized the dynasty of Aksum; in this kingdom, in the fourth century after Christ, christianity was established as state religion, in his version, the coptic orthodox. The sacred texts of the medieval speak also, however, a direct relationship with one of the ten Hebrew tribes, after fleeing to Ethiopia, from which sprang the royal family through the queen of Sheba. And in fact, in Ethiopia still live today), the line of the Falascià, black jews, whose first historical mention dates back to 600 after Christ. Ethiopia was then a bastion of jewish-christian, with african influences, but to be considered almost the southern edge of the mediterranean culture.

The canvas depicts King David playing the harp. Depicted with Ethiopian features, the painting underlines the direct descent of the people from the Davidic lineage. It is part of a group of seven works, which arrived in Italy at the end of the 1930s; they were purchased directly on site, as we have reconstructed from the correspondence and family photos, by the lawyer xxx, grandfather of the owners, who was sent as the legal representative of an Italian production company in 1935 in Ethiopia, and from there he was expelled in 1938 by General Graziani because he was considered anti-fascist. The canvases remained in the family collection, in the family palace, and are now re-proposed in all their expressive power. Ethiopia has a very particular history: located between Africa and Asia, and between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, it was a crossroads and meeting point of different cultures, also stimulated by the constant and intense trade flows. Five centuries BC the Aksum dynasty was established; under this reign, in the fourth century after Christ, Christianity was established as the state religion, in its Coptic Orthodox version. The medieval sacred texts also speak, however, of a direct relationship with one of the ten Jewish tribes, who took refuge in Ethiopia, from which the royal lineage was derived through the queen of Sheba. And in fact in Ethiopia the Falascià lineage still lives today, black Jews whose first historical records date back to 600 AD. Ethiopia was therefore a Jewish-Christian bulwark, with African influences, but to be considered almost the southern edge of Mediterranean culture.

Ethiopian art, c. 1935

The painting, oil on canvas, is in reality most likely a scene that overlaps various typical subjects that are very much reproduced in traditional Ethiopian art of the early 1900s. A recurring theme is that of slave hunting. A painting similar to ours for the arrangement of the scenes and narration is in the Bremen museum and takes up the story of Iyassu, prince of the Amhara population, who fights after the death of Menelik II the people of the Gimirra, who occupied the southern part of Ethiopia. The painting contrasts the Amhara, dressed and with the commanders with a sort of fringed hat, to the "barbarians" Gimirra, half naked, who are killed and emasculated. The expedition ended with the acquisition of about 20,000 new slaves. In fact, in our painting there are also quotations that refer to the action of Ras Tafari, who in 1928, after the coronation a negus, represses the revolt of the Oromo, in the province of Uollo. A further mention is in the presence of numerous rifles, which recall the battle of 1930 with the definitive defeat of Gugsa Oliè and the subsequent appointment of Ras Tafari as emperor. So the painting, made around 1935 for an Italian client, adds up these themes in our opinion. It is part of a group of seven works, which arrived in Italy at the end of the 1930s; were purchased directly on site, as we have reconstructed from the correspondence and family photos, by the lawyer xxx, grandfather of the owners, who was sent as legal representative of an Italian production company in 1935 in Ethiopia, and from there he was expelled in 1938 by General Graziani, because he was considered anti-fascist. The canvases remained in the family collection, in the family palace, and are now re-proposed in all their expressive power. Ethiopia has a very particular history: located between Africa and Asia, and between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, it was a crossroads and meeting point of different cultures, also stimulated by the constant and intense trade flows. Five centuries BC the Aksum dynasty was established; under this reign, in the fourth century after Christ, Christianity was established as the state religion, in its Coptic Orthodox version. The medieval sacred texts also speak, however, of a direct relationship with one of the ten Jewish tribes, who took refuge in Ethiopia, from which the royal lineage was derived through the queen of Sheba. And in fact in Ethiopia the Falascià lineage still lives today, black Jews whose first historical records date back to 600 AD. Ethiopia was therefore a Jewish-Christian bulwark, with African influences, but to be considered almost the southern edge of Mediterranean culture.

Trees on the shore of the lake

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. On the back there are: stamp of the Galleria Annunziata in Milan and label of participation in the exhibition at the same, further exhibition cartouche of 1951 at the Art Gallery the Skyscraper of Legnano, two other stamps of further art galleries. The painting is accompanied by authentication on photo with stamp of the general catalog of works by A. Del bon and catalog number. Born in Milan and trained at the Brera Academy as a pupil of di Alciati, Angelo Del Bon made his debut in Monza in 1924 at the female portrait exhibition. In 1926 he participated in the second exhibition of the Italian twentieth century, but he immediately departed from this movement and its heaviness and static nature, seeking rather a greater lightness of hues and shifting interest from form to color, to arrive at an essentially chromatic definition of the picture. , also on the suggestions of post-impressionism. From 1930, the year in which he was again present at the Venice Biennale, the dialogue with nature and the clear description of the Lombard landscape began, aiming for a clearer and brighter definition of the surrounding space. Starting from 1932, he reached a total zeroing of the surface values, introducing large patches of white and defining his own peculiar technique, which involved applying a consistent layer of zinc white to the canvas, subsequently proceeding with pure color mixtures. and scrapings to let the preparation emerge from the bottom. Del Bon obtained works of absolute clarity and brightness, accentuated by the use of pastel colors, which characterized his paintings from 1933 onwards. He mainly painted Lombard landscapes; from 1941 he began the series of still lifes and flowers. In 1940 he set up the Annunciata gallery with his friend Grossetti, to which Del Bon exclusively gave all his production. The work is presented in a style frame.

Marmittone gets married 1950

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower left. On the back there is a cartouche of the Ranzini Gallery in Milan, relating to the artist's personal exhibition held in November 1950, which indicates the title of the work. It is an original and unusual subject by the Ligurian painter, who is inspired by a comic published starting from 1928 in the Corriere dei Piccoli, which tells the adventures of the simple soldier Marmittone, a type not too bright but of good will who, due to gaffes or simply out of sheer misfortune, ends up in jail at the end of each adventure. Noelqui's work is of a fantastic kind: the two protagonists of the scene, Marmittone and his bride, are flanked by characters with the appearance of animals, the context is represented with geometrically defined houses with simple outlines, the colors are lively and cheerful. It seems almost the illustration of a children's story, which refers to the activity of writer, also of fairy tales and short stories, in which Noelqui ventured. Noel Quintavalle (known under the pseudonym Noelqui), a native of Ferrara but raised and artistically trained in Milan, was a multifaceted artist. Graduated in architecture, he was self-taught in the arts, but after the great war in which he actively participated, he quickly distinguished himself and exhibited in numerous national and international exhibitions; in the meantime he also carried out the aforementioned literary activity, publishing various volumes (satire, fairy tales, short memories of the war) and also tried his hand at sculpture and xylography. His pictorial production, which began as a pointillist, was then influenced by the synthesis of modern painting. The subjects most dear to him were the portrait and the landscape. The work presented is in a contemporary frame, with some small defects.

Citadel 2001

Mixed technique sculpture: iron, wood and photographs. Pierluigi Rolando, an internationally renowned designer, graduated in textile engineering and established himself primarily in the cashmere textile industry in the family business, he creates garments that he himself defines as “cashmere sculptures modelled on the human body”. At the beginning of the 1970s, he switched to design with collections for active sports and he contributed to the birth of Fila. In his free time, he alternates his sculptural interests with pictorial interests; he makes up figures in expanded polystyrene and collages in wood, cardboard and various materials. However, sculpture has always been his great passion: for forty years, art has been "lived hysterically in the spare time", but since 1993, Rolando has chosen to devote himself entirely to it. Using different materials such as terracotta, recycled iron, wood, he proposes various subjects, with grotesque faces with tense and suffering expressions, strong and caricatured hands, symbols of ancient and heroic deeds from a distant era, with characters of religions and mythology. His visionary universe is populated by warriors, leaders and emperors, horse-totems and imaginary creatures; his art is suggestive, fairy-tale, enchanted. The citadel presented here, which well expresses this passion for mixing very different materials, was created after the tragic collapse of the Twin Towers in New York, in September 2001: the two towers, a symbol of modernity, still stand intact inside a twisted metal plate of decline and decay, created through a twisted metal plate. The sculpture is presented in a plexiglass case.

Square of Painting, 1990

Acrylics on board. Signed and dated on the back. Accompanied by authentication on autographed photo of the author, with stamp of the Verlato Gallery in Milan. The work presented here is part of the rich series of works called by the artist Cristalli, due to the reference to the geometries of these minerals, which he considers containers of energy and light. On a three-dimensionally shaped board with asymmetrical protruding points, recalling the structure of a crystal, Jori paints elements that emerge from the background, with chromatic choices that all refer to the same range but with different shades, to emulate the reflections of light. The work comes from an important Milanese private collection.

'Odin A Bloodhound'

Oil painting on canvas. English school late 1800s - early 1900s. It is a copy of the 1873 graphic preserved in the British Museum in London, and derived from a work by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802 -1873), an English painter and sculptor of the Victorian era known for his paintings of fairies and his scenes with animals. Of the dog, a hound as the English name bloodhound suggests, the head and shoulders are depicted, turned to the right, with eyes raised to look at the master. The painting is presented in a coeval frame, with numerous shortcomings.

Oil on canvas. Singed S. Ronzoni at the bottom right. The artist painted a view over the harbour with small boats moored at the quay and sailors loading goods on their shoulders. The pictorial strokes are broad and uncontoured, the colours in a few ranges fading into each other to create a suspended atmosphere. The painting is presented in a stylish frame, with some faults.