European Art & Old Masters: 500 Years

Provenance: Private Collection, Pennsylvania.

NOTE:

Vittorio Reggianini's best known and most sought after works include scenes of bourgeois figures dressed in very elegant clothing, and often in highly ornate and luxurious interiors. Through his depictions of men and women in opulent fashions and environments, he looked to revive a sophisticated past by romanticizing his own present day environs. In the present lot, one is immediately drawn to the artist's deft rendering of fabrics, as seen in the shiny silk and delicate beading on the dresses of the two women in the center of the composition. The reflection of light on the silk dresses, as well as the gilded objects, including the mirror, urn, and furniture, lend a lavish and sumptuous effect to the overall vignette. The beautiful, colorful rug and marble wall leading up to the gold wallpaper only heighten this impression. The expressions of the characters are playful and joyous, although the look on the woman in the green dress creates a sense of intrigue and mystery. The viewer is left wondering what kind of exchanges the three were sharing, and is therefore further lured into the painting.