Camillo Innocenti Furniture

An impressionistic scene set inside a spare tavern with a fire burning on an open hearth somewhere deep in the background. The atmosphere in the tavern is authentically under-lit and secluded; a sense of yawning silence pervades, interrupted only by the two figures in the foreground. The cobblestone floor is set out with layered dabs of color that convey the sense of luminosity and dimensionality. The tavern table is covered by a white linen; a woman in a long dress with layered aprons is leaning forward over the table with a pleasant smile on her face. She appears to be grasping a small rag in her right hand, having just completed a full sweep of the hand to dust the tablecloth free from crumbs. In front of her is a moustached man seated on a four-legged stool while half reclining on the table; he has a sloshing glass of wine in one hand and a long, lit pipe in the other. This is a magnetic genre scene by an accomplished painter of peasant settings. Camillo Innocenti studied painting in Rome at the Instituto di Belle Arti, and exhibited his first painting in 1893. He later won the Grand State Prize, in 1896, and embarked on a tour of Spain, in 1901, and France before returning to Italy in 1903. His style of painting moved from that of the old masters towards impressionism and finally to pointillism, which became the basis for his lasting reputation. Innocenti won a long series of awards at various exhibitions, including the Gold Medal at the Louisiana World Fair in 1904; the Brussels Universal and International Exposition bronze medal in 1910; and the bronze medal awarded by the Accademia di San Luca. After World War I, Innocenti designed film sets, and then became the Director of Cairo’s Academy of Fine Art. He died in 1961 in Rome, and a number of galleries and museums in Italy and the U.S. still exhibit his work. Measurements: [frame] 10” H x 12 1/4” W x 3/4” D; [panel] 8 1/4” H x 10 5/8” W. Condition report: Tiny hole in right side; some slight losses to man’s pants...