Michelangelo Pittatore (1825–1903), Attrib. - Ritratto di Nobile

Interesting work attributed to the painter Michelangelo Pittatore (1825–1903), oil on canvas in good condition.
The painting measures 83x64 cm.
The frame is contemporaneous with the work and requires restoration of the friezes.
In the quiet Piedmontese town of Asti, on February 12, 1825, Michelangelo Pittatore was born, destined to become the painter who would give face and artistic dignity to the emerging bourgeoisie of his time. Son of Sebastiano, a craftsman who had abandoned painting for the job of frame-maker and decorator, Michelangelo showed from a young age an innate talent for art. At only eleven, his father entrusted him to the care of the painter Agostino Cottolengo, brother of the more famous Giuseppe Benedetto, to cultivate his gifts.
In 1839, barely fourteen, Michelangelo moved to Rome to continue his studies at the Academy of Saint Luke. The Eternal City, with its artistic and cultural wealth, offered the young painter the opportunity to refine his technique and to come into contact with illustrious personalities of the time. Frequenting the Antico Caffè Greco, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals, he befriended the German painter Rudolf Lehmann and met other figures from the international artistic scene.
During his stay in Rome, the cultural vitality profoundly influenced his production, leading him to create genre paintings that, despite their apparent simplicity, reflected the inquietudes and aspirations of the rising bourgeoisie. Among these, “The Smoker” and “The Drinker” stand out, paintings that capture moments of everyday life with extraordinary sensitivity.
In 1855, Pittatore returned to Asti, where he devoted himself mainly to portraiture, immortalizing the faces of artisans, patrons, entrepreneurs, politicians, and local intellectuals. His works offer a snapshot of 19th-century Asti society, highlighting the pride and determination of a bourgeoisie on the rise. Among his most celebrated portraits is that of his maternal uncle, Giovanni Matteo Palmiero, mayor of Asti, depicted with a gold earring on the lobe of his right ear, a distinctive symbol of the Crimean War veterans.
Michelangelo Pittatore’s painting style is distinguished by the softness of the brushstroke and attention to detail, characteristics that give his works extraordinary vitality and realism. Rejecting Baroque mysticism and the frills of Rococo, the artist adopted a stricter and more direct approach, focusing on the authentic representation of the subjects. In his portraits, a deep understanding of the human spirit emerges, with particular attention to facial expressions and posture, elements that reveal the character and mood of the depicted figures.
Michelangelo Pittatore passed away in his beloved Asti on March 24, 1903, leaving behind a rich collection of works that still testify to the cultural and social vitality of the Piedmontese city in the 19th century. His canvases, housed in museums and private collections, continue to tell stories of daily life, passions, and aspirations of an era now distant, yet still alive through his paintings.
Provenance: Italian antique market
Fast shipping with secure packaging