Gaetano Esposito (1858 – 1911) - Ritratto maschile - NO RESERVE

GAETANO ESPOSITO
(Salerno, 1858 – Sala Consilina, 1911)
Male portrait
Oil on canvas, 49 x 38.5 cm
Signed 'G. ESPOSITO' at the bottom left.
Frame size, approx. 64 x 53 x 6 cm.


NOTE: Publication of the collection catalog of Intermidiart works. Signed artwork. Certificate of Guarantee and Legitimate Provenance. Artwork with a gold frame (defects):

This valuable work – originating from the antiquarian market – focused on the figure of an elderly man, undoubtedly belongs to the talented painter Gaetano Esposito (Salerno, 1858 – Sala Consilina, 1911), known for his portraits and genre scenes of everyday Neapolitan life.
Set against a dark brown-toned background, the figure of an elderly man with a distinctive head covering dominates, looking directly at the viewer. The figure, likely seated and in the foreground at half-length, is well painted and illuminated by an extraordinary radiant light.
Gaetano Esposito trained under Gaetano d'Agostino before enrolling at the Royal Institute of Fine Arts in Naples, where he studied with Filippo Palizzi, Domenico Morelli, and Stanislao Lista. He was funded by a scholarship from the Salerno government. He was influenced by Antonio Mancini, particularly in genre painting, such as depictions of the activities of Naples' lower classes. He also painted portraits. At the end of the 19th century, he decorated the Caffè Gambrinus in Naples, the ceiling of the Teatro Comunale Garibaldi in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (1895), and the ceiling of the Palazzo della Borsa in Naples, where he painted the Allegories of Work and History (1897-1898). He began focusing on landscape, marine painting, similar to the school of Pausilippe. He painted the picturesque Palazzo Donn'Anna on several occasions. In 1904, at the Saint Louis World's Fair, he won a gold medal for a large canvas: Marina di Napoli. The painting "Sinite Parvulos" was exhibited in 1880 at the Turin Exhibition. In 1877, at the National Exhibition, he displayed "A Sad Premonition," "A Daughter of Guilt," and "A Fuming Kitchen." In 1883, in Rome, he painted "From Posillipo." In 1884, in Turin, he exhibited "Brillo," "Neapolitan Type," "First Palpitations," "Aspects," and "Pleasant Conversation." In 1910, a young student, Venturina Castrignani, committed suicide after being emotionally rejected by Gaetano Esposito, who, overwhelmed with remorse, ended his own life on April 7, 1911, in Sala Consilina, Salerno.
Regarding the state of preservation, the painted surface shows a patina varnish. Under Wood light, some small scattered restorations are visible, with some micro-flakes of paint. Additionally, under raking sunlight, the characteristics of the applied color and the brushwork pattern can be observed. The dimensions of the canvas are 49 x 38.5 cm. The work — as previously mentioned — comes from the market as an autograph piece by Gaetano Esposito. The painting is enhanced by a gilded frame, which has a strong decorative effect (dimensions approximately 64 x 53 x 6 cm, with some defects). The frame shown in the photos above was added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided at no additional cost so that it is ready for display upon arrival. 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: Private Collection

Publication
Unpublished
Myths and the territory in Sicily with its thousand cultures. Unpublished quadreria general catalog of the paintings from the cycle "Myths and the territory," Publisher Lab_04, Marsala, 2025.

In the case of sales outside the Italian territory, the buyer must wait for the export procedures to be completed.