FRANCESCO FOSCHI | A winter landscape with travelers along a river, a cottage beneath a ragged cliff, and mountains beyond

oil on canvas

H. Weissenberg;
By whom (anonymously) sold, New York, Sotheby's, 20 May 1971, lot 27 (as Robert Griffier);
There acquired by a Private Collection, United States;
Thence by descent.

Canvas is lined. A decorative image reads well with some details well preserved. There are some minor flakes of loss, such as one on the sky at center left, and another on the background by at center left edge by the branch with some associated cracks. Some additional small filled losses visible in the hilly landscape to the left of the hut and in the mountains beyond the water at left, and a few small pin dots of loss in the sky at upper right. There appears to be a small brown stain by the branches in the center left edge. Visible to the naked eye is some discoloration to the varnish in the corners, particularly the upper left and right corner and center of left edge. Inspection under UV is hard to read due to an old varnish, though there is probably some inpainting scattered to address old craquelure. Painting is offered in an ebonized wooden frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

Francesco Foschi is an Italian artist that specialized in depicting snowy landscapes. Although he was born in Ancona, the artist practiced in Rome where he would have been inspired by other landscape maestros such as Gaspar van Wittel and Giovanni Paolo Panini. The popularity of these painters grew during the seventeenth century as the public’s demand shifted from religious subject matter to decorative paintings of nature. Foschi was able to establish himself as a sought-after artist for his realistic, yet freely imaginative views. This painting is most likely an earlier work by the artist and is similar to other compositions reproduced in his catalogue raisonné by Marietta Vinci-Corsini.¹ Its compact size appears to indicate that these types of works were probably small studies that were then followed by larger, more fully developed works.² The inclusion of travelers in the foreground draws the viewer’s gaze into the hut across the river, which is developed with sharp details, evident in the different materials the house is made of. Furthermore, the loose strokes on the mountainous scene in the background create a sense of motion that enable one to enjoy and follow the landscape scene through its entirety.

We are grateful to Marietta Vinci-Corsini for endorsing the attribution to Francesco Foschi on the basis of photographs.

1. See M. Vinci-Corsi, Francesco Foschi, 2002 Milan, p. 38, cat. nos. 14 and 15, reproduced.
2. Ibid., p. 68.