Lot 52: Alfred André Géniole (French, 1813-1861) A pair of watercolours of a fancy dress ball at Villa San Donato in 1844 and 1845, each 33.4cm high, 47cm wide, (13 1/8" high, 18 1/2" wide)

A pair of watercolours of a fancy dress ball at Villa San Donato in 1844 and 1845,
both signed, in ornate Florentine frames, (2), each 33.4cm high, 47cm wide, (13 1/8" high, 18 1/2" wide)

Provenance: sold Sotheby's London, 21st-24th April 1969, 'The Contents of Villa Demidoff, Pratalino near Florence, sold by the order of H.R.H. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia', Lot 284 and 285.

Attached to each frame is a drawing in pen and ink of the guests, with a key to their identity:

The watercolour drawing of 1844 is annotated as follows: (1) barone von Lotzbeck, (2) principe Corsini, (3) Signora Chiffoni e suo figlio, (4)Madame Bautte de Fauveau, (5) Sig. Thomas Morgan, (6) Sig. Vivian, (7) Sig.ra Ricci, (8) Sig.ra Hobhouse, (9) Sig.ra Graves, (10) conte Cicognora, (11) principessa Troubetzkoi, (12) principessa Matilde Demidoff, (13) figlia della principessa Troubetzkoi, (14) principe Anatole emidoff, (15) marchesa Zappi, (16) duca di Dino, (18) Lord Ward, (19) Madame de Tcherevine, (21) principessa Poniatowski.

The watercolour drawing of 1845 is annotated as follows: (1) Lord Vernon, (2) la duchessa di Dino, (4) il principe Charles Poniatowski, (5) il barone di Poilly, (6) la Signora Vansittart, (7) il Signore Desloges, (9)il duca di Dino, (10) il barone Charles de Talleyrand, (11) la principessa Bacioki, (12) il Signor de St. Marc, (13) la principessa Nadine Labanoff, (14) il barone Millange, (15) la principessa Olgoronki, (16) principe Anatole Demidoff, (17) il Signore Vivian, (18) la principessa Matilde Demidoff, (19) il Conte von Adelsberg, (20) la Signorina Hobhouse, (21) il Signor Geniole, (22) il marchese Zappi.