Attilio Simonetti (1843-1925) - Piazza cittadina con carrozza e passanti

Attilio Simonetti (Rome, 1843–1925)

"City Square with Carriage and Passersby"

Oil on canvas, signed "A. Simonetti" at the lower right.

Animated cityscape depicting a wide square with a carriage, pedestrians, stalls and monumental buildings. A large palm tree dominates the right side of the composition, while the wet paving reflects the figures and the warm light of the sky.

The scene is executed with a rapid and luminous brushwork, particularly effective in conveying the urban atmosphere and the reflections after rain.

Attilio Simonetti was a Roman painter and antiquarian, pupil and close friend of Mariano Fortuny y Marsal. He was among the founders of the Roman Watercolorists Association and maintained relations with the Paris-based Maison Goupil. His oeuvre includes genre scenes, vedute, Orientalist subjects and costume compositions.

This work is presumably datable to the early decades of the 20th century, circa 1900–1925.

Canvas dimensions: about 40 × 50 cm.
Overall dimensions with frame: about 55 × 65 cm.

The painting is presented in generally discrete condition, consistent with its age. Craquelure, surface deposits, light abrasions, small losses of pigment and normal signs of time are visible. The back shows the natural oxidation of the canvas and some surface stains, documented in the photographs.

The gilded wooden frame bears abrasions, small losses of gilding and signs of use. It is included free of charge in the sale and cannot be the subject of dispute.

The work is without a certificate of authenticity. The artist’s name is indicated on the basis of the signature present on the painting. The photographs are an integral part of the description.

The painting belongs to a pair of city views signed A. Simonetti, offered in the same auction through two separate lots.

Careful packing and trackable shipping.