Raffaello Sorbi (Italian, 1844-1931)
Trattoria di Campagna
signed and dated 'Raf: Sorbi/1883' (lower right)
oil on canvas
46.5 x 55cm (18 5/16 x 21 5/8in).
Footnotes:
Provenance
Private collection, Italy.

Raffaello Sorbi began his artistic education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence under the tutelage of Antonio Ciseri. The artist's career was greatly enhanced by his connection in 1872 with the French art dealer Eugène Goupil, with whom he signed an exclusive agreement for seven years for the impressive sum of 1,000 francs per month. Once well established through his connection with Goupil, Sorbi entered into agreements with the German dealers, Heinemann and Schulte as well as the London dealer Arthur Tooth. In 1892, Sorbi was made a professor the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.

Sorbi's ability to capture with both accuracy and humour the small details of everyday life contributed a great part to his success throughout Europe. He was a master of the multi-figural composition, creating scenes rich with detail and interest, with sitter's individual personalities and relationships being captured in their actions, faces and movement. He was a virtuoso at capturing the play of light on different forms and textures, lending three dimensionality and weight to his scenes.

All of these attributes are clearly demonstrated in the present lot. Here, Sorbi has created the effect of a theatre stage upon which the sitters act out the convivial nature of lunch at a Tuscan taverna. He has captured with accuracy the plethora of emotions - from delight to boredom - that one might expect to see from the sitters, based on how engaged they are with the various occurrences taking place around them. Painted with great care and quality, the scene brings warmth and fun that is a pleasure to allow one's eyes to wander through and investigate.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: *
* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.

The canvas has not been lined and provides a stable support for the work. Around the edge of the work, there is a line of cracking to the paint and associated retouching. To the sky, there are some fine lines of stable craquelure. Inspection under UV light reveals the aforementioned retouching, but no other clear evidence of restoration.