Lot 91: Giuseppe Molteni (Italian 1800-1867)

Una mendicante con figlia
signed 'Ge Molteni Fe' (lower right)
oil on canvas
109 x 78 cm. (43 x 30 3/4 in.)

Provenance:

Purchased by the Great-Grandfather of the present owner in the 1920's.

The influence of Biedermeier painting on the art of North Italian painters is perhaps most transparent in the work of Giuseppe Molteni. This painter from Milan cultivated personal contacts with artists from neighbouring Austria and for a short while he established himself as a portrait painter in the Viennese capital. He successfully entered the art market by receiving commissions from Prince Metternich, and other influential court personalities. It was during this time that he became personally acquainted with Friedrich von Amerling (1803-1887), in whose portraits he found inspiration for some of his own work. Molteni's present painting, Una mendicante con figlia retains the pristine exactitude of the Northern schools, but, at the same time, resorts to tone and emotion for a more Italian resonance. While contemporary realism dictates setting and costume, morality is given a sentimental varnish. In the present painting, the silent dependence of a young child on her mother is framed by the stark surroundings of the chosen set; it is from the monochrome tonalities of the background that the two figures stand out, one against the other, in a careful arrangement of costume, fabric and ornament. In their attitude and gesture, the figures present an image of quiet understanding and comfort. Molteni's endearing portrayal of a young mother with her child ranks among the most accomplished paintings by the artist known today.

An engraving after the oil painting, entitled Mendicante con putto, has been recorded under no. 356 of the'Register of works' by the artist drawn together by Sergio Rebora and published in the exhibition catalogue for Giuseppe Molteni (1800-1867) e il ritratto nella Milano romantica, a venue held in Milan in 2000-2001. There are a few differences in the background composition between our painting and this engraving; however, the figure group remains the same. The oil painting had been commissioned by Mr. Thomas Agnew of Manchester and exhibited at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in 1851-1853. According to Sergio Rebora, the engraving after the painting was published between 1853 and 1855.

Giuseppe Molteni was not merely a professional painter; following initial training as an artist at Milan's Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, he had entered Giuseppe Guizzardi's school for restoration in Bologna. By 1854, when he had become Conservatore at the Pinacoteca di Brera, he was invited to work on the restoration of Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin. Molteni's talent was equally highly esteemed abroad, and he subsequently visited the Louvre and the British Museum in the capacity of restorer and artistic adviser.