- 25
Arturo Ricci
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- arturo ricci
- Sala Artistica
- signed A. Ricci and inscribed Firenze (lower left); signed A. Ricci, inscribed A.lá Artistica, and dated 1884 (on the reverse)
- oil on canvas
- 41 3/4 by 31 in.
- 106 by 79 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, United Kingdom (circa 1900)
Thence by descent (and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 13, 2006, lot 313, illustrated)
Thence by descent (and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 13, 2006, lot 313, illustrated)
Condition
Lined. Widely patterned stable craquelure visible in upper register. Under UV: Pin dots of inpainting to costumes of seated figures, in woman's face and chair, and in the table cloth, along with spots in the artwork and screen at left, and in isolated areas of the background. Strokes of inpainting surrounding the seated man and possibly brushy strokes in the upper left corner.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Arturo Ricci specialized in genre scenes and nostalgic images, such as the present work, that imagine an elegant era before the impact of the Industrial Revolution. In Sala Artistica, a handsome artist challenges his beautiful young sitter to a game of chess, using the completion of her portrait—for which her hovering father has paid—as a risky wager. The unfinished painting has been tossed aside, and the other discarded sketches on the floor suggest that the charlatan has played this game before. Through bold use of color and meticulous draftsmanship, Ricci brings the lustrous materials and luxurious decorations of the artist’s studio to life. While the Rococo interior and costumes suggest a scene from the eighteenth century, Ricci’s inclusion of a gold screen and parasol point toward the contemporary vogue for japonisme, visible throughout late nineteenth century interior paintings by Alfred Stevens (see lot 27), James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot, and Jean-Georges Vibert.