Studio RT Ltd

Description

This is a wonderful, large watercolour - one of two that we are listing - by the well known 19th Century Italian artist Guerrino Guardabassi, who has signed the painting in the lower left hand corner G. Guardabassi. Roma.

The painting depicts a Franciscan friar sitting on a stone bench outside a roadside shrine, lit by an iron lamp, accepting a coin in his collecting tin from a woman. She is dressed in the typical costume of the Roman countryside. She has a pad on top of her headdress, on which is balanced a wicker basket containing flowers and vegetation.

The friar is wearing the traditional brown habit of the Franciscans, with its knotted robe belt, from which a set of rosary beads is hanging. He has a wooden staff in one hand and is sporting a bushy grey beard.

There is amazing attention to detail in this painting, and in its companion, which is a fraction smaller.

Guerrino Guardabassi was born in Rome in 1841. He trained at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome and exhibited regularly from 1870 - 1901, mostly in Rome but occasionally in Turin. He painted in watercolours and oils and was known for figures, historic and religious images and very occasionally, landscapes. He painted in the traditional style of the 19th Century Italian school. He died some time after 1901, the date of his last exhibit.

There is one of his paintings in the British National Collection at St. Albans Museum.

Auction results for this artist may be found at the usual sites, with 83 listings at artprice.com. A pair of his watercolours achieved $4,560 in New York in 2012 and his work in both in watercolours and oils, is well regarded.

The painting has been newly double mounted in two-tone acid free mountboard and is newly mounted in a 1 3/8" ornate silver gilt frame. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 21 1/4" x 14 3/4" - 54cm x 37.5cm

Frame size: 29 7/8" x 23" - 76cm x 58.3cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Very good. There is possibly some slight age toning to the paper, although the colours are vibrant, but no foxing or damage. The mounts and frame are new.