Attilio Simonetti (1843-1925) - Il duetto






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Description from the seller
Attilio Simonetti (Rome, 1843 – 1925)
The Duet
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated A. Simonetti / Rome at the lower left
Measurements: 73 x 55 cm in an era frame
Canvas: 54 x 36 cm
Refined interior scene by Attilio Simonetti, a Roman painter particularly appreciated for his genre compositions, in which the elegance of historical reminiscence is paired with meticulous attention to costume and decorative detail.
The work depicts an intimate musical moment staged in a splendid noble residence. A young gentleman, elegantly dressed according to eighteenth-century taste, accompanies a seated lady on the guitar while she plays a small string instrument. Between the two figures a subtle dialogue of glances and gestures emerges, turning the musical performance into a scene of delicate complicity.
The composition is built with particular scenographic sensitivity. The wide opening onto the loggia introduces the brightness of the landscape and the vegetation, contrasting with the deeper tones of the interior. The large glass window, the heavy drapery, and richly described furnishings define an elegant, theatrical space, while the vibrant red skirt of the female figure constitutes the chromatic focal point of the entire representation.
Simonetti reveals here his skill in rendering fabrics, garments, and furnishings: from the embroidery of the male costume to the transparency of the lace, from the wooden surface of the musical instruments to the preciousness of the armchair. Each element contributes to the construction of a cultured and seductive image, expression of the international taste for period costume scenes and eighteenth-century evocations.
A work of notable pictorial quality and narrative charm, representative of Attilio Simonetti’s genre production and of the refined Roman artistic milieu between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Condition report: Excellent overall condition
The frame is considered a courtesy; therefore complaints about potential damage during shipping will not be entertained
Shipping costs are understood to include professional packing and insurance on the value of the work
Seller's Story
Attilio Simonetti (Rome, 1843 – 1925)
The Duet
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated A. Simonetti / Rome at the lower left
Measurements: 73 x 55 cm in an era frame
Canvas: 54 x 36 cm
Refined interior scene by Attilio Simonetti, a Roman painter particularly appreciated for his genre compositions, in which the elegance of historical reminiscence is paired with meticulous attention to costume and decorative detail.
The work depicts an intimate musical moment staged in a splendid noble residence. A young gentleman, elegantly dressed according to eighteenth-century taste, accompanies a seated lady on the guitar while she plays a small string instrument. Between the two figures a subtle dialogue of glances and gestures emerges, turning the musical performance into a scene of delicate complicity.
The composition is built with particular scenographic sensitivity. The wide opening onto the loggia introduces the brightness of the landscape and the vegetation, contrasting with the deeper tones of the interior. The large glass window, the heavy drapery, and richly described furnishings define an elegant, theatrical space, while the vibrant red skirt of the female figure constitutes the chromatic focal point of the entire representation.
Simonetti reveals here his skill in rendering fabrics, garments, and furnishings: from the embroidery of the male costume to the transparency of the lace, from the wooden surface of the musical instruments to the preciousness of the armchair. Each element contributes to the construction of a cultured and seductive image, expression of the international taste for period costume scenes and eighteenth-century evocations.
A work of notable pictorial quality and narrative charm, representative of Attilio Simonetti’s genre production and of the refined Roman artistic milieu between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Condition report: Excellent overall condition
The frame is considered a courtesy; therefore complaints about potential damage during shipping will not be entertained
Shipping costs are understood to include professional packing and insurance on the value of the work
