Nicola Viso (Napoli prima metà XVIII) - Paesaggio fluviale con grande ponte in pietra e figure - XL format

NICOLA VISO
(active in Naples in the first half of the 18th century)
River landscape with large stone bridge and figures
Oil on canvas, 73 x 135 cm
Frame size approx. 98 x 160 x 6 cm

NOTE: Florence, Pandolfini, 8 October 2025, lot 132 (as Nicola Viso); Publication catalog of the Intermidiart collection works. Certificate of Legitimate Provenance. The artwork accompanied by a rich contemporaneous gilded frame, carved with foliate motifs and moulded (defects):

We present in the auction catalog an interesting oil painting on canvas of good quality, depicting a River Landscape with a large stone bridge and figures from the period: First half of the 18th century (circa 1720-1740).
The work is significantly documented on the Florentine antique market. The canvas was indeed presented to the public and to collectors at the prestigious Pandolfini auction house in Florence, in the session of 8 October 2025 (Lot 132), within which it was historically and critically cataloged under the correct attribution to «Nicola Viso».
Nicola Viso was an Italian painter active in Naples in the first half of the 18th century, celebrated by contemporary historical sources — in particular by the chronicler Bernardo De Dominici — as one of the most talented specialists in landscape and architectural painting of his generation. Despite the scant biographical notes that have reached us, his artistic career places him in a moment of happy transition for the Neapolitan school. Following the great tradition of ideal landscape, Viso managed to fuse the dramatic and wild lessons of Salvator Rosa with the measured classicism of Domenico Gargiulo. To these local roots he could unite the luministic suggestions of the Northern Masters and Roman vedutists active in the viceroyalty, such as the landscape painters of the circle of Gaspar van Wittel. Much sought after by the educated aristocracy of the time, Viso distinguished himself by creating Arcadian views and architectural caprices pervaded by a vibrant and atmospheric light, foreshadowing the sensibilities of the mid-century.
The painting depicts a wide and suggestive Arcadian and pastoral-flavored river landscape. The composition is dominated, at the center, by a majestic three-arched stone bridge, which serves as a spatial and perspectival hinge of the entire scene. Above it move several figures of travelers with pack animals, painted with a quick, blotchy touch, typical of eighteenth-century production.
On the right, a tree with a sinuous, leafy trunk frames the foreground view, supporting the tree-lined background that leads the eye toward a hill crowned by an ancient fortified village. On the opposite side, dense vegetation and a rural settlement gently descend toward the water’s edge. The horizon opens onto distant, misty mountain peaks under a sky cut by wide, bright white clouds that reflect sunlight on the landscape below.
The stylistic and formal characteristics of the canvas allow for a certain attribution to the hand of the master. The work perfectly testifies to Viso’s artistic maturity: the handling stands out for a wise orchestration of light and shade — evident in the light contrasts on the bridge arches — and for a palette played in delicate modulations of greens, browns, and blues, enriched by vibrant touches and golds in the foliage that give the whole an extraordinary freshness of atmosphere.
The work is presented in a decent general state of conservation. The painted surface is sound and the adhesion of the color to the canvas is stable, with no evident phenomena of lifting or flaking. The original brushwork is clearly legible; there is a thin, uniform patina of time that dulls the brightness of the pigments without altering the tonal balance. Under the protective varnish, slightly yellowed by natural oxidation, one can see the characteristic fine crackle pattern (craquelure) typical for an eighteenth-century painting, particularly visible in the lighter areas of the sky. The painting has previously undergone a good-quality re-stretching intervention, which stabilized the original support, ensuring correct tension of the canvas on the wooden frame (later replaced).
The dimensions of the large canvas are 73 x 135 cm.
The painting is enriched by a rich gilded frame, structurally solid. It shows small and physiological signs of temporal wear and minimal retouches of the gilding on the reliefs of the foliate carving, which do not compromise its aesthetics or overall value (frame measurements 98 x 160 x 6 cm, defects).
"The frame shown in the photos above has been added to the artwork by the seller or by a third party. The frame is provided to you at no additional cost so that it is ready for 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:
Florence, Pandolfini, 8 October 2025, lot 132 (as Nicola Viso);
Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
- UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA, General Catalog of the paintings of the Intermidiart Gallery collection by Andrea Maggio, 2026 (pdf).

The work will be shipped — due to its large size — in a wooden crate with polystyrene. If sold outside Italian territory, the buyer must await the processing times for export procedures.