Cecconi Eugenio (1842-1903), Attributed to - Cacciatore col cane

Eugenio Cecconi (Attributed)
Livorno, September 8, 1842 - Florence, December 19, 1903

Very fine work depicting a hunter with his dog.
Dimensions of the pastel alone: 30 x 40 cm.
On the back it bears the authenticating mark with stamp and signature of the Sant'Andrea Gallery of Marina di Pisa, followed by the inscription "work already in the collection of the baritone Titta Ruffo".

Biography
Eugenio Cecconi was born in Livorno to a wealthy family. He graduated in Law in Pisa, while also taking painting courses in Pisa and with Enrico Pollastrini in Florence, but he devoted himself fully to art only after his father’s death in 1865.

He volunteered in the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866; upon his return he went back to Livorno. He frequented the studio of the critic Diego Martelli at Castiglioncello, a meeting place for the “Macchiaioli” painters, thanks to whom he dedicated himself to painting nature from life, with great attention to light and a skilled drawing ability.

From 1873 he lived in the countryside around Pisa and often went to Maremma, driven by a passion for nature, animals, and hunting, which continually inspired his numerous works, such as in the Museo Bracchiere maremmano (1890).
Another recurring theme were the peasant women and villagers, depicted faithfully but without social denunciation aims, such as Lavandaia (circa 1880, Florence, Galleria d’Arte Moderna) and here Cenciaiole livornesi (1880).
From 1877 he lived in Torre del Lago (Lucca), then from 1881 in Florence, but remained tied to his native city where he exhibited successfully in 1886 at the First Exhibition of Fine Arts in Livorno.

From 1891 he dedicated himself to art criticism and to writing short stories, especially hunting tales, many of which were collected in the posthumous volume … Fra le carte di Eugenio Cecconi (Florence, 1906).
He died suddenly in 1903, at 61 years of age."