Ippolito Caffi

With Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, London;
Giorgio Marsan and Umberta Nasi, Turin, London and Corfù.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This beautiful oil sketch on paper has been lined onto canvas and seems to be in lovely state. The paint layer is most likely slightly dirty. There is a small break in the canvas in the lower left which is visible and has required a little restoration. There are also a few spots in the sky in the upper center which have been restored. Overall however, this is a very well preserved and healthy painting which if cleaned, would be much brighter and fresher.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This beautiful view of Nice, as seen from Villefranche to the east, was painted in 1851 when it was still a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.  Caffi seems to have been particularly inspired by the beauty of this area.  He first visited in 1849 and returned in 1851, painting this work and numerous other views of Nice and its environs.¹  By this time, Caffi had already achieved fame as a vedutista and had published a textbook on perspective.²  His early training was in Belluno, where he was born, and in Padua.  From 1827-31 he studied in Venice at the Accademia di Belle Arte before moving to Rome.  In addition to his mastery of perspective, Caffi took great interest in capturing the effects of light and atmosphere, as evidenced in this small, luminous work.  He was also intrigued by the effects of artificial and lunar light and painted numerous nocturnal scenes.  A nocturnal view of Nice, dated 1852, is the collection of Ca' Rezzonico, Venice.³

Note on the Provenance:
Umberta Nasi was the granddaughter of Giovanni Agnelli, the founder of Fiat.  She and her husband, Giorgio Marsan, were avid collectors with homes in Turin, London and Corfu.  Among their paintings collection, topographical views were a major theme and they had a particular affinity for depictions of the Mediterranean landscape such as the present lot.

 

1.  See Ippolito Caffi, Luci del Mediterraneo, exhibition catalogue, Belluno, Palazzo Crepadona, October 1, 2005-January 22, 2006 and Rome, Palazzo Braschi,  February 15-May 2, 2006.
2.  Lezioni di prospettiva pratica, 1835.
3.  Martini collection, Inv. 220, oil on paper laid down on canvas, 19.5 by 26.6 cm.