Lot 99: Ambrogio Antonio Alciati , Italian 1878-1929 elegant woman with her dog oil on canvas

signed A.A. Alciati and dated 915 (lower center) oil on canvas

measurements 83 1/2 by 48 3/4 in. alternate measurements 212 by 124 cm

Collection of the Pick-Mangiagalli family, Monaco

According to the Pick Mangiagalli family, the sitter for the present work was a relative of Riccardo Pick Mangiagalli (1882-1949), an Italian composer of great renown. Pick Mangiagalli studied at the Conservatory Giuseppe Verdi as well as in Prague and Vienna; among his influential teachers was Richard Strauss. Beginning his career as a concert pianist, Pick Magiagalli then turned exclusively to composition. The composer's work for the piano is still performed today, as is his chamber music, including the "Ballata Sinfonica" and the "Humoresque". Pick Mangiagalli also gained fame from his scores for ballet and opera; his first opera, the Salice d'Oro, debuted a Milan's La Scale in 1913, followed by Il carillon magico (1918). While the exact identity of this elegantly dressed woman is unknown, any member of the Pick Mangiagalli circle would be a fitting subject for society portraitist Alciati. As with the society portraits of Giovanni Boldini and John Singer Sargent, Alciati's expressive brushwork and rich palette were perfectly suited for the wealthy and cultural elite, who wanted a "modern" portrait to demonstrate their fashionable taste and refinement. Here, Alciati perfectly captures the heavy folds of the sitter's costume with its sumptuous aubergine fabric, luxuriously soft velvet gloves and the sparkling pop of white paint detailing the jewel on her finger. Equal attention is paid to the woman's pet, a fine breed, itself a symbol of status with his well manicured, fluffy fur, pink belly, and detailed expression as carefully described as his owner's.