Giovanni Sottocornola (1855-1917) - Studio di nudo

Drawing
Study of the nude
Italian School
Era: 20th century
Signed: Giovanni Sottocornola
Dated: 1905
The gilded/burnished frame is wood.
Measurements 67x38;50x23 outside the frame
Excellent condition
Provenance: purchased at auction. (attached photo)

Giovanni Sottocornola (Milano, 1855 - 1917) was an important exponent of Lombard painting at the turn between the 19th and 20th centuries. Trained at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts under masters such as Giuseppe Bertini, Sottocornola initially tackled themes with strong social commitment tied to the workers’ reality (close to Verismo and the early phase of Italian Divisionism), then, starting from the early years of the 1900s, focused on a more intimate, domestic and affectionate dimension. He is renowned for his intense and delicate portraits, often created with pastel or charcoal, in which he demonstrates extraordinary sensitivity in atmospheric rendering, in the effects of hazy light and in the grace of the female subjects.

The work stands out for the extraordinary softness of the chiaroscuro transitions achieved through the deft use of smudged charcoal, which models with extreme sensuality and delicacy the shapes of the model’s body. The light strikes the figure from the side, highlighting the volumes and enhancing the sinuous, classical pose.

An intimate work, which testifies to the artist’s full graphic maturity reached in the early years of the 20th century.

Tracked shipment with courier