Egidio Riva (1866-1946) - Natura morta con sifone, bicchiere e limoni

EGIDIO RIVA (1866–1946) “Still life with siphon, glass and lemons” Work from 1939 Technique: oil on canvas Canvas size: 51 × 41 cm Size with frame: 76 × 66 cm Signature and date: signed and dated on the bottom right, in red: “Egidio Riva 39” Subject: still life Description of the work The composition presents a still life of intimate character, built through a small group of everyday objects arranged on a plane: a stemmed glass, a teaspoon, a white napkin, some whole and cut lemons, and in the back, a characteristic blue glass siphon for seltzer water. It is precisely the siphon that constitutes the main chromatic fulcrum of the composition. The intense, transparent blue of the glass emerges against the brownish-grey background and dialogues with the bright yellow of the lemons. The glass, instead, is constructed almost exclusively through reflections and glaze, with a synthetic painting that suggests transparency without resorting to meticulous description. Particularly successful is the contrast between blue, yellow and white: the deep blue of the bottle, the acid yellow of the citrus, and the warm white of the napkin determine the chromatic balance of the entire work. Stylistic analysis The painting shows a fully twentieth-century painting. The objects are solidly defined but not described according to photographic naturalism: Riva favors the synthesis of forms, tonal relationships, and the painting matter. The brushwork remains clearly perceptible. In the lemons, especially in close-up photographs, there are more substantial transitions and a construction through short superimpositions of color; in the siphon the painting material is used to render the variations of transparency of the blue glass. Also interesting is the spatial arrangement. The background is deliberately bare and divided into vertical fields of brownish, greyish and greenish tones. This essentiality concentrates attention completely on the objects and gives the scene a quiet, intimate character, typical of a certain tradition of Italian still life between the two World Wars. The close crop, the absence of decorative elements, and the quotidian nature of the objects confer to the work an almost domestic immediacy. Signature and dating In the lower right corner there is a signature executed in red pigment, clearly belonging to the painting surface: “Egidio Riva 39” The date 39 allows us to place the execution precisely in 1939, thus in the mature phase of the artist’s activity. The signature features a strongly cursive and personalized script, with the large central R particularly evident. Support and technique The work is executed in oil on canvas mounted on a wooden frame. The reverse photographs show an old support with natural oxidation and browning of the canvas. There are also on the back some annotations and traces of previous interventions or arrangements. On the upper crossbar of the frame is the inscription “CADÀ-623” (photographic reading), presumably referring to a previous inventory or collection number; however, this indication should be interpreted only in the presence of further documents. Frame The painting is presented within a substantial gilded carved wooden frame, internally completed by a wide dark green passe-partout/garland and by a thin gold wooden lip just around the canvas. In the center of the lower part there is a metal plaque with the inscription: EGIDIO RIVA 1866 – 1946 The framing gives the work a particularly elegant presentation and seems coherent with a historically charted collection arrangement, although from a mere photograph I would not necessarily attribute the entire display to 1939. Condition report From the analysis examination, the work appears in overall discrete conservative condition considering its age. The surface shows widespread craquelure, more evident in areas with thicker paint, particularly in the lemons, the siphon, and portions of the background. There are also light surface irregularities, deposits, and a varnish that seems to have undergone natural alteration and opacification. On the back of the canvas there are clearly visible traces and halos, as well as areas that could be attributable to old conservation interventions or the natural passage of materials through the support. The frame shows normal signs of use, abrasions and small losses compatible with age. *** Photographic note The photographs of the work were taken with the aid of professional studio lighting and spotlights to allow better readability of the composition, details and painting matter. This lighting can cause slight variations in color perception and brightness compared to viewing the work directly. The photographs are for illustrative and documentary purposes only. The frame is provided free of charge with the work and must be considered an accessory element, not included in the economic valuation of the painting. Given the natural fragility of antique and gilded frames, any damage, detachments, breaks or losses of parts of the frame occurring during transport or shipping cannot be the subject of refunds, compensation, or disputes regarding the value of the work. The packaging will nevertheless be prepared with maximum care to ensure as safe transport as possible. Shipped insured Attributive Expert Evaluation *** For historically relevant reasons the work cannot be shipped outside the European Community / insured shipment in a wooden crate

Estimation:€500

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