Lot Details
Description
Vittorio Amedeo Rapous
Turin 1729 – Turin 1800
Allegory of Autumn and Allegory of Summer
Oil on canvas
in 54,53x41,73
The two canvases under study are remarkable works of exceptional quality, representative of Rapous's full artistic maturity. As such, they reveal the refined taste of the Piedmontese court of the time.
The first painting depicts an allegory of autumn with three putti dressed as bacchants. They hold a ribboned thyrsus adorned with grape clusters, play with other grape bunches, and carry baskets of white doves. In the second canvas, the putti number four, blond and curly-haired, playing and teasing one another as well as ducklings, amidst a lush, verdant landscape.
A luminous glow pervades both works, with colors shining in a gem-like brilliance, enhanced by a delicately calibrated and refined chromatic palette.
The atmosphere evokes a declining Arcadia, progressively giving way to a new vision of the classical world being embraced across Europe.
The two paintings can be seamlessly associated with Rapous’s works from the 1780s and 1790s, created for the Royal Palace of Turin. Specifically, they align with the Stories of Aeneas paintings in the Royal Palace apartment designated for the Dukes of Aosta, who were married in 1789. These works were completed by Rapous in 1789 and paid for in 1790. For the same apartment, the artist also painted an allegorical overmantel featuring putti on a small carriage drawn by a lamb, transporting a statuette of Cupid—a depiction almost identical to the figures in the two paintings under discussion.
From the critical analysis, Dott.ssa Arabella Cifani
The painting is accompanied by:
Expertise by Dott.ssa Arabella Cifani
Dimensions
in 54,53x41,73
Provenience
Private collection
Conditions
Defects and restorations.
Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each product to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Coradi Rare Finds is merely a subjective opinion.
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