A. Coceani (1894–1983) - Cortile a Rualis

Title: Courtyard in Rualis, Cividale del Friuli
Estimated dating: ca. 1940–1955
Technique: Oil on original cardboard

1. Author's Biographical Profile
Antonio Coceani (Udine, 1894 – 1983) is a protagonist of 20th-century Friulian painting. Having trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence under Ettore Tito, he managed to fuse academic rigor with a unique landscape sensibility.
He is defined as the poet of the 'moving intimacy': his painting does not seek the monumental, but the silent truth of courtyards, of twilight lights, and of rural atmospheres. Coceani was part of the vibrant artistic circle of Cividale del Friuli, indissolubly linking his name to the visual safeguarding of the local landscape.
2. The Scientific Value of the Verse (The Back)
In the world of collecting, the reverse of this work is not merely a backing, but an unequivocal guarantee of authenticity and age:
• Inscriptions in Red Chalk: The inscription 'Antonio Coceani - Cortile a Rualis' is documentary evidence. Such inscriptions were a common practice for inventorying the artist's studio or for cataloguing in view of solo exhibitions (such as the historic Udine exhibition of 1937).
• Biological Oxidation (Foxing): The presence of brown foxing spots on the fibers of the cardstock is a sign of time that is impossible to counterfeit. It is the biological proof that the support has interacted with the environment for over 80 years, guaranteeing the piece's originality.
• Historical Integrity: The support reveals that the work has not been altered nor re-lined, preserving the original mid-century "patina".
3. Why is it a Pezzo Speciale?
• The Rualis Cycle: the work belongs to a highly mature, much sought-after period. There are references to famous works by Coceani set precisely in this hamlet of Cividale, such as "Neve a Rualis" (1943), as evidence of the artist's regular visits to this village during the war years.
• Tactile Realism: The oil on cardboard technique allows Coceani to 'sculpt' the matter. Note how the white of the lime plaster and the wood of the well are rendered with a vibrant impasto that captures the courtyard's real light.
• Territorial Heritage: Portraying Rualis (today part of the UNESCO context of Cividale) gives the painting the value of an ethno-anthropological document, preserving the memory of a rural architecture that has now vanished.
4. Institutional References and Market
• Presence in Museums: Works by Antonio Coceani are held in prestigious institutions such as the Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Udine (Casa Cavazzini) and the Museo Revoltella in Trieste.
• Prices: In the specialized market (such as Artesegno auctions in Udine), works from this rural cycle are highly valued by regional collectors for their ability to evoke Friulian identity.
• Signature: The signature on the front "A. COCEANI" is fully in line with ERPAC's official catalogs (Ente Regionale per il Patrimonio Culturale).
This painting represents an excellent opportunity to document the history of the Friulian landscape. The combination of Antonio Coceani's painting mastery and the valuable information on the back (localization and natural oxidation) makes the work a definite object of museum and collector interest.