Emanuele Costa (1875 – 1959) - Veduta di Firenze

EMANUELE COSTA
(Florence, 1875 – 1959)
View of Florence
Oil on plywood, 37 x 50 cm
Signed ‘COSTA EMANUELE’ at lower right

NOTE: Publication in the Intermidiart Collection Catalogue of Works (PDF). Signed work. Certificate of Guarantee and Lawful Provenance. Unframed work:

We are pleased to present in our catalogue a splendid painting, skillfully executed in oil on canvas, depicting a View of Florence by the Florentine painter Emanuele Costa (Florence, 1875 – 1959).
The painting is, in fact, a refined example of Tuscan veduta painting rooted in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The composition is structured around a rigorous yet lyrical arrangement of perspective planes, captured from an elevated viewpoint, probably identifiable as one of the historic suburban villas dotted across the hills of Fiesole or Settignano.
The foreground is dominated by a spacious terrace with a rosy terracotta floor, bordered on the left by a stone balustrade decorated with autumnal climbing plants in warm reddish hues. The parapet’s diagonal line leads the viewer’s eye toward the center of the scene, where human presence is evoked and replaced by classical monumental and botanical elements: a large decorative stone urn on a low wall and, slightly farther ahead, a marble statue in the classical style standing on a tall brick plinth.
Behind the statue rises a vigorous cluster of ancient cypress trees, rendered with dense, vibrant, richly textured brushwork that captures the interplay of light and shade among the branches in the daylight. In the background, softened by a light atmospheric haze, the Florentine hills stretch into the distance, shaped by delicate variations of green, ochre, and blue that convey the distinctive character of the Mediterranean scrubland and the small villages nestled in the landscape. The broad, clear sky is crossed by light, wispy clouds, painted with small touches of color that lend dynamism and airiness to the entire composition.
The painting’s approach reflects the period’s taste for historic gardens and aristocratic views, typical of the cosmopolitan bourgeoisie of the time, treated by Costa with a marked sensitivity to natural light and atmospheric effects.
Emanuele Costa (Florence, 1875 – 1959) trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, growing up in an artistic family under the guidance of his father, Antonio, and his uncle, Oreste. His time spent at Giovanni Fattori’s studio was essential to his development; from Fattori he inherited a sensitivity to light and nature, which he translated into a more intimate and atmospheric style.
A versatile painter, he achieved great success both in elite portraiture for the Florentine aristocracy and in historical and genre compositions. However, he found his greatest expression in hilltop views and Tuscan landscapes. He regularly exhibited at the leading exhibitions in Florence, Rome, and Turin, attracting considerable interest on the international market as well, particularly in Germany. Today, his works are sought after by collectors and held in prestigious private collections.
Condition: The work is in excellent condition. The paint layer is stable and cohesive, and retains its original brilliance and rich texture, with no lifting or paint loss. The plywood support is structurally sound, perfectly flat, and free from alterations, testifying to proper and careful preservation over time.
The painting is being sold without an outer frame, although it is enhanced by a beautiful antique wooden frame.

PROVENANCE: Private collection

PUBLICATION:
 UNPUBLISHED COLLECTION, General Catalogue of Paintings in the Intermidiart Gallery Collection, by Andrea Maggio, 2026 (PDF).

In the event of a sale outside Italy, the buyer will need to allow time for the export procedures to be processed.