Vincenzo Irolli (1860 – 1949) - Il venditore di pesci

VINCENZO IROLLI
(Napoli, 1860 – 1949)
The Fish Vendor
Oil on canvas applied to cardboard, cm. 39.6 x 29.2
Signed ‘V. IROLLI’ in the lower left
Frame size cm. 51.5 x 41.5 x 6 approx.

NOTE: Publication catalog of the Intermidiart collection works. Work signed. Certificate of Guarantee and Legitimate Provenance. Work with gilded and worked frame (defects):

The painting, coming from the antiquarian market, is a fine oil on canvas applied to cardboard created by the well-known artist active between the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, Vincenzo Irolli (Naples, 1860 – 1949).
The work in question represents a perfect example of Irolli’s mature production. The small dimensions, typical of a easel or studio painting, do not diminish the monumentality and expressive effectiveness of the figures. The autograph signature in red is fully consistent with the artist’s graphic characteristics, making the painting an item of undeniable interest for collectors of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Italian painting.
The painting offers an intimate and pulsating glimpse into Neapolitan popular daily life, a core theme of Vincenzo Irolli’s poetics. The scene is set outdoors, presumably in a narrow alley or a village square near an old building.
In the center of the composition, in the foreground, the figure of an elderly street vendor stands out, caught in a moment of industrious private work: he is crouched on the ground, his gaze focused on his basket (o’ panaro), tending to or displaying the day’s catch. To his right stands a boy in a light shirt and short trousers, a proud figure typical of the Neapolitan “scugnizzi” of the period. On the left, an older man in profile with hat and dark jacket observes the scene up close, while a little further back a girl with her back turned, wearing a typical blue dress and braids, acts as a visual bridge to the background. Distant, almost merged into the shadows of the surrounding architecture, other market-goers can be seen, including a woman with a green shawl and a man with a top hat or bowler, testifying to the social heterogeneity of the setting. The work excels for its extraordinary color treatment. Irolli does not draw form so much as he shapes it with a thick, rugged brushstroke, rich in paint and lumps of pure color. Light penetrates from above, cutting through the scene and lighting up sudden flashes: on the children’s clothing, on the silvery reflections of the fish on the ground, and on the vendor’s face. The chromatic range, dominated by warm earth tones of shadow and wall grays, is animated by sudden flashes of blue, emerald green, and touches of red, orchestrated with that luministic mastery that made the artist famous internationally.
Vincenzo Irolli was born in Naples in 1860. Trained at the Naples Academy of Fine Arts under masters such as Gioacchino Toma and Federico Maldarelli, he soon distanced himself from strict academic rules to embrace a painting strongly influenced by the verismo of Antonio Mancini, Francesco Paolo Michetti, and the great tradition of the Neapolitan Seicento.
His official debut took place in 1879 at the Promotrice di Napoli, where he enjoyed immediate public and critical success. Throughout his long career he regularly participated in the most important national and international art exhibitions: he exhibited at the Venice Biennale (from 1907 to 1930), the Paris Salon (where he earned great acclaim and a bronze medal in 1904), in London, Munich, Berlin, and Buenos Aires.
Irolli became one of the greatest and most beloved exponents of Neapolitan Impressionism. Although much of the Italian post-war criticism sometimes labeled him as a “facile” painter due to his immense commercial success and popular subjects, international criticism has consistently recognized him as an absolute virtuoso of color and light. He died in Naples in 1949, leaving a body of works today housed in the world’s most prestigious museums (including the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome, the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, and the Petit Palais in Paris).
The work presents itself in good overall conservation. The original canvas is perfectly adhered to the rigid support on cardboard, with no deformations or detachments. The paint layer is solid and stable, preserving the vibrant textural quality of the brushstrokes, with no color losses or cracking. The surface is protected by a clear varnish and the signature in the lower left is intact.
The work is set in a gilded and elaborately worked frame of striking effect (size cm. 51.5 x 41.5 x 6 approx., presence of defects). “The frame shown in the photos above was added to the artwork by the seller or by a third party. The frame is provided at no additional cost so that it is ready to be displayed 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 grounds for opening a claim or requesting order cancellation.”

PROVENANCE: Private Sicilian Collection

PUBLICATION:
- I Miti e il Territorio nella Sicilia dalle mille culture. INEDITA QUADRERIA general catalog of the paintings of the cycle “I Miti e il territorio,” 2026 (Pdf).

In case of sale outside the Italian territory, the buyer must wait for the processing times of the export procedures.