Lot 173: Modesto Faustini (Italian, 1839-1893) Sogno di Primavera; Sogno di Autumo (a pair) each 41 1/2 x 22 1/4in (105.4 x 56.5cm)

Sogno di Primavera; Sogno di Autumo (a pair)
each signed 'MFaustini' (lower right)
oil on canvas
each 41 1/2 x 22 1/4in (105.4 x 56.5cm)

Each inscribed with title on the frame.

Born in Brescia in 1839, Modesto Faustini was orphaned at the age of six and was moved into an orphanage where he received vocational training as a dressmaker. In 1855, his aptitude for design was recognized and he was allowed to enter the School of Drawing. In 1861, with a small stipend, the young artist enrolled in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, where he studied under the tutelage of Giuseppe Bertini. He worked at night making illustrations for magazines and newspapers in order to subsidize his stipend to continue his studies.

After a move to Rome and his introduction to the artist Nino Costa, Faustini's art began to demonstrate the influence of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, culminating in the decorations for the Sanctuario delle S. Maria della Grazie in his native Brescia. He was particularly noted for portraying scenes of Roman life and particularly that of the denizens of Pompeii which were so popular in the second half of the 19th Century throughout Europe.

The present pair of paintings are whimsical interpretations of Autumn and Spring executed on a grand scale and demonstrate a remarkable sensitivity to color and light. Spring is depicted as a lovely nude woman surrounded by cherubs suspended in a blossoming tree, bathed in the cool clear light of dawn. Autumn is a complimentary composition and also captures the essence of the season with its darker palette evoking twilight and a darker-skinned male figure. Both are joyous and vibrant illustrations of the seasons.