Federico Andreotti (1847–1930) - Vecchio con ombrello

FEDERICO ANDREOTTI
(Firenze, 1847 – 1930)
Old man with an umbrella
Oil on panel, 25 x 18 cm
Signed “F. ANDREOTTI” at the top right
Frame size about 46 x 39 x 8 cm

NOTE: Publication catalog of the Intermidiart collection. Signed artwork. Guarantee Certificate and lawful provenance. Artwork with gilt and ornate frame (defects) with metal caption on the front “F. ANDREOTTI” (defects):

This refined work, titled Old Man with an Umbrella – coming from a well-known Tuscan auction house – is attribution beyond doubt to the capable Florentine painter Federico Andreotti (Florence, 1847 – 1930), an Italian artist known for his refined productions of genre scenes and female figures, active from the late nineteenth century to the early decades of the twentieth.
The painting depicts, in profile and three-quarter view, an elderly man elegantly dressed, with a black hat and a vivid red umbrella that introduces a striking chromatic note. The figure emerges decisively from a dark, neutral background, a solution that enhances his stage presence and concentrates attention on the subject’s intense facial characterization.
The quality of the execution, attention to detail in the clothing, and the luministic rendering, expertly calibrated, confirm the artist’s seasoned hand, capable of combining descriptive precision with narrative sensitivity in a composition of elegant balance.
Andreotti approaches this subject with the usual compositional elegance and with a carefully dosed use of color, a quality that characterizes much of his output. After an early foray into historical painting – an arena that did not bring him the hoped-for success – the artist turned toward portraiture and, above all, toward neo-18th-century genre scenes, a genre in which he achieved broad acclaim. His works are distinguished by descriptive realism and technical virtuosity, offering scenes of everyday life built with balanced lighting and harmonious constructive perspective.
Federico Andreotti’s artistic formation goes back to the study of masters of the Seicento (17th century). His first teacher was Tricca, and from 1861 he attended the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze under Pollastrini; in the same year he presented a scholastic study depicting an allegorical figure of Italy. In 1864 one of his most ambitious works, Savonarola banishing two Bentivoglio sicari from his cell, was commissioned, but was met with criticism that helped steer the artist definitively away from historical painting.
In his rich production, predominantly dominated by portraits, there are also some landscapes attributable to the manners of Tuscan Realism. Thus, Federico Andreotti established himself as a painter of great veristic talent, author of canvases enveloped in an atmosphere of charm, liveliness, and vitality, in which the subjects appear concrete and tangible thanks to extraordinary technical mastery and the use of luminous, dazzling colors.
Regarding the conservation status, the painted surface shows varnish with patina. Under raking sunlight, the characteristics of the color laid on and the stroke pattern are visible. The dimensions of the work are 25 x 18 cm. The painting is enhanced by a gilded and worked frame, with a metal caption on the front reading “F. ANDREOTTI,” of great decorative effect (size about 46 x 39 x 8 cm, with defects). “The frame shown in the photos above was added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided to you at no additional cost so that it is ready to display as soon as it arrives. The frame is included as a courtesy and is not considered an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, any potential damage to the frame that does not affect the artwork itself will not be accepted as a valid reason to open a claim or request order cancellation.”

provenance: Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
- Unpublished;
- I MITI E IL TERRITORIO in Sicily of a thousand cultures. UNPUBLISHED SQUARE volume, general catalog of the paintings of the cycle “I Miti e il territorio,” Publisher Lab_04, Marsala, 2026.

The work will be shipped – due to the fragility of the frame – with a wooden crate and polystyrene. In case of sale outside Italian territory, the buyer must wait for export procedures to be completed.