G. Pratella (XX) - Marina con barche e Vesuvio

Splendid painting on board (as it is covered by glass, it is not possible to tell whether it is oil, gouache, tempera, or another medium), depicting an evocative view of the Gulf of Naples, with paranze (typical sailing boats) in the foreground and the hazy outline of Mount Vesuvius in the background. The work stands out for its refined use of color and light, with vibrant, richly textured touches that masterfully capture the sun’s reflections on the water. The original period frame (contemporary with the painting), made of dark wood with a gold inner border, enhances the work through its distinctive character and state of preservation.

Artist: signed at the bottom right, G. Pratella, a mid-20th-century painter active in the veduta and marine-painting tradition of the Neapolitan school. He has nothing to do with the famous Attilio Pratella and his sons.

- Measurements:
painting: 35 x 49 cm
frame: 46.5 x 60.5 cm (included with the work)
weight of the painting with frame: 1,975 g

- Frame: the work is enhanced by its intact original period frame (contemporary with the painting), made of dark wood with a gold inner border.

- Historical significance of the reverse: the back is intact and retains the rare original label (with the Savoy royal coat of arms featuring a double-headed eagle and the four-digit telephone numbers 35-77 and 20-28) of the prestigious firm “Pietro Presbitero & figli” of Turin (18 Via Roma / 9 Via Mazzini), a long-established business in the field. This dates the making of the rare frame to between the early 20th century and the 1920s/30s.

- Commercial connection: in addition to producing fine artistic frames, the Presbitero firm sold art prints and paintings by contemporary artists. This presumably explains perfectly how a work associated with the Neapolitan marine-painting school (signed G. Pratella) may have passed through the market and into the collections of Turin’s upper middle class at the time.

- Condition: excellent overall condition. The glass gives the piece the characteristic charm of an old parlor painting, inextricably linking the work to its surroundings and its precious original gilded frame.

- The photographs, an integral part of this listing, complete the description and presentation of the work, showing the condition of the painting and the rare contemporary frame.

- The frame shown in the photographs is included as a courtesy and does not constitute an integral part of the work. Any damage to the frame will not be considered valid grounds for a complaint or order cancellation.

- Shipped promptly and insured, with professional reinforced packaging suitable for an item of this kind.