Circle of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Acquired by the present owner, July 1981. 

This picture comes close to a series of Teste di fantasia, or fantasy heads, painted by various Venetian artists and housed in the Visconti di Modrone Castle at Somma Lombardo (Varese).  A portion of this collection is still preserved there; however, the rest was dispersed around the turn of the last century and can be difficult to trace. Featuring works by artists as varied as Sebastiano Ricci, Antonio Pellegrini, Giambattista Piazzetta and Giambattista Tiepolo among others, the collection was united by its subject matter.  Each work depicts a bust-length figure—some male, some female, some young, some old—in different poses and psychological states.  In addition to their shared subject matter, the works in the collection are united by their size; much like the present work, they all measure about 47 by 39 cm. 

According to the files of the owner, the original canvas of the present picture is signed Piazzetta and dated 1720, although the original canvas has since been relined.  The present picture, is comparable, however, do one of the teste di fantasia by Piazzetta of a young boy holding a rifle in the aforementioned series.¹

1.  Teste di fantasia del settecento veneziano, exhibition catalogue (Venice, Galleria di Palazzo Cini a San Vio), Venice 2006, pp. 98-99, cat. no. 18, reproduced.