Lot 164: Giovanni Muzzioli (Italian, 1854-1894)

Love Notes
signed 'G. Muzzioli' (lower left)
oil on canvas
29 x 19 1/2 in. (73.7 x 49.6 cm.)

THE PROPERTY OF A PHILADELPHIA COLLECTOR

Born in Modena in 1854, Giovanni Muzzioli enjoyed great fame and prestige as an artist in local circles. After receiving the prestigious "Poletti" prize, he continued his studies in Rome at the Accademia di San Luca under the guidance of Podesti and Coletti. From 1876, Muzzioli worked from his studio in Florence where he gained even more visibility from international dealers. His paintings of Pompeiaan characters from classical antiquity derived inspiration from the all'antica Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema and Frederic Leighton whom Muzzioli had met earlier in Rome. His portraits as well as flirtatious genre scenes such as the present work appear frequently in the artist's oeuvre and highlight the painterly bravura of his carefully studied technique.