Galerie Dreyfus
99
-
FEDERICO ZANDOMENEGHI (VENICE, 1841 – PARIS, 1917)
The Outsk…
See original version (French)
99
-
FEDERICO ZANDOMENEGHI (VENICE, 1841 – PARIS, 1917)
The Outsk…
See original version (French)
Estimate €160,000 - €200,000
Voluntary lot
Description
FEDERICO ZANDOMENEGHI
(VENICE, 1841 – PARIS, 1917)
The Outskirts of Paris
1878
Oil on canvas
61 x 50.5 cm
Signed and dated lower left ‘Zandomeneghi (18)78’
Provenance
E. Gagliardin Collection, Milan,
Private collection, Vimercate,
Then passed down through the family to the current owner
Private collection, Italy
Publications
Mario Borgiotti, Incantesimi dell’Ottocento pittorico italiano, Milan, 1967;
Enrico Piceni, *Zandomeneghi*, Bramante edition, Milan, 1967, no. 29.
Emerging from the dappled shade of the trees, three figures—a woman and two young
children—are walking towards us. From the woman’s long white apron, we can tell that she
is a nanny taking her young charges for a walk; the eldest seems to be leading the way with a
determined air, whilst the second remains nestled in his nanny’s arms. They walk
peacefully along a path bordering a river, the meandering course of which can be glimpsed receding into
the background. On the opposite bank, a dilapidated building resembles a ruin, lending a
rustic air to the scene. Unusual for a landscape painting, the vertical format lends a certain
dynamism that complements the sudden appearance of the walkers. The countryside depicted is
the lush greenery of a sunny summer’s afternoon, when one seeks the coolness of the
shade. Clear and precise when outlining the figures’ silhouettes, the brushwork becomes
freer, applied in patches, when rendering the liveliness of nature. Tufts
of grass, foliage or reflections in the water are rendered with a looser, more fluid brushstroke. The colour
palette aims for realism, varying the tones according to their degree of exposure to light,
which is often subdued. Picturesque, straddling realism and Impressionism, Zandomeneghi’s style
embraces its uniqueness.
Federigo Zandomeneghi (1841–1917) was an Italian painter. He was born and raised in Venice into a
family of artists and trained at the Venice Academy from 1856 onwards. In 1860, as a
supporter of Garibaldi, he stayed in Florence where he frequented the Macchiaioli (Stain-painters) group, who
had a lasting influence on his style. In their company, he devoted himself to painting
landscapes from life, ‘en plein air ’. This innovative approach, which gave their compositions a
realistic quality, found its counterpart at the same time in France among the painters of the
Barbizon School. In 1874, Zandomeneghi travelled to Paris, where he decided to settle. He would spend the rest
of his life there. His second defining encounter was with the Impressionists, who had just
held their first highly acclaimed exhibition. Zandomeneghi went on to take part in four of their
exhibitions (1879, 1880, 1881 and 1886). Although he initially had to earn a living by producing
illustrations for fashion magazines, his meeting in 1878 with the art dealer Paul
Durand-Ruel, who bought the exclusive rights to his works, secured his financial
independence. In the early 1890s, he found new inspiration in the technique of pastel,
going on to produce numerous portraits.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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