Alfredo Protti (1882-1949) - Gatto che dorme

Alfredo Protti, Bologna 1882–1949.

Sleeping Cat, oil on canvas, signed lower right A. Protti with a gilded fluted frame and a wooden back panel, overall dimensions 80 x 55 cm.

Painted in a mature period, the 1930s–1940s. Protti, moving away from the world of official art, devoted himself to intimate and domestic subjects. In this work he depicts his black cat Tom, curled up on ochre/yellow fabric, with the typical loose, luminous brushwork that characterizes his latest production. The contrast between the velvet-black coat and the feline's golden eyes creates a striking expressive force against a dark background.

Provenance: private collection

Protti painted several studies of his cat Tom during his years of retreat in Bologna.

The painting is in excellent condition; the frame, which is original, has some small imperfections that can be seen in the photos.