Ruggero Leoncavallo Boldly Signed Photo With Patriotic WWI Inscription

A remarkable portrait of Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919), signed, inscribed, and dated by him in Italian as (translated): "To my dearest friend / Riccardo Luttigas [?] / on the eve of the true union / of all the peoples of Italy / with affection / Leoncavallo / Viareggio / 25 May / 1915 / second day of the war." The black and white gelatin silver photograph after G. Magrini (Viareggio, Italy) depicts the elegantly attired composer boasting his trademark bushy, upturned mustache. Expected wear including minor silvering to the bottom edge and some wear to the photographer's mount, else near fine. The photo is displayed in a floating mount and matted and framed behind glass. Not examined out of the frame. The actual size of the photograph is 6" x 8.25" while the overall framed size is 11.625" x 15" x 1."

Italy entered World War I as an ally of Great Britain and France on May 23, 1915, after the Treaty of London guaranteed them the Austrian territories of Trento, Trieste, Istria, and Dalmatia. Italy's territorial ambitions in Austria were consistent with an aggressive foreign policy that the country had already been following in Africa and the Mediterranean for decades: in Eritrea, Somalia, Libya, and the Dodecanese. More important to set the stage for war though was the pervading political atmosphere: a resurgent Italian nationalism cultivated by such intellectuals as Gabriel D'Annunzio, who united the populace behind an irredentist movement to reclaim "lost" Italian territories. It is likely that Leoncavallo's patriotic sentiment was inspired by the recent call to arms.

Leoncavallo's finances had worsened during this period, especially after a German newspaper reported that he and Puccini had protested the bombing of Rheims, causing his works to be largely banned in Austria and Germany. Meanwhile, Leoncavallo's hopes of future performances were dashed by the wartime suspension of theatrical productions. Discouraged, Leoncavallo reflected, "I hope that in this state of things a sentiment of italianità will rise among us for the protection of our works as well as our artists… and that our theaters will not be open solely to foreign maestri and to a privileged few… but also to those maestri that have proven themselves to be the glory of Italian art" (Konrad Dryden, "Leoncavallo: Life and Works")

Ruggero Leoncavallo's most enduring legacy remains his haunting opera "Pagliacci." Set amidst a troupe of commedia dell'arte performers, the opera culminates in Canio's on-stage murder of two fellow actors: his adulterous wife and her lover.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!