Antonio Cifrondi (1665-1730), Woman with a Hand Warmer

Antonio Cifrondi (1665-1730) Woman with a Hand Warmer Oil on canvas, 76 x 59 cm Born in the 17th century in Clusone, in Val Seriana in the province of Bergamo, Antonio Cifrondi painted a large number of works alternating between the sacred and the profane, with a late-Baroque style. He was in Bologna around 1673, where he was a student of Marcantonio Franceschini (an echo of this attendance can be recognized in the David and Goliath of the Chamber of Deputies), in 1679 his presence is documented in Rome, then perhaps in Naples, Turin and in France between Grenoble and Paris, coming into contact with the painting of the great masters of the past, but also with the experiences of his contemporaries. Returning to his homeland around 1686, he worked feverishly until the end of his days in the Bergamo area, with a style recognizable for the lively use of color, the speed of the brushstroke, the marked and almost caricature-like characters of the figures. In the second part of his activity, starting from the early 1700s, the palette becomes poorer. This typicality of production also characterizes the last phase of Cifrondi's production, which sees the painter active in Brescia, mainly dedicated to depicting beggars, according to models very close to those of the young Todeschini. The elderly woman portrayed here exudes a strong expressiveness, she is depicted while warming her hands inside a fur muff. The painting is characterized by a painting with warm tones, embellished with subtle passages and soft shades. The figure emerges from the dark and uniform background with a play of light and shadows that enhance some details of her figure. The protagonist is portrayed through a sensitivity that translates into the transposition of a gesture with a veristic flavor, such as that of warming her hands. Often within Cifrondi's paintings you can find images of elderly men and women or people portrayed during their work. The main characteristic of these characters of his is that none of them laugh or smile: the only exceptions concern the author himself in his two self-portraits. A peculiarity of his modus operandi was given by the speed of execution, made possible thanks to the naturalness and ease with which he executed the works. This allowed the execution of a large number of paintings, scattered in the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. The painter achieved considerable notoriety, so much so that he became one of the most requested in the area. With Ars Antiqua it is possible to spread all amounts up to a maximum of €7,500 at ZERO RATE, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS. Ex. Tot. €4,500 = Monthly installment €300 for 15 months. Ex. Tot. €3,600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months. For amounts exceeding €7,500 or for a longer period (over 15 installments), we can provide a personalized payment plan. Contact us directly to get the best quote. LIVE TV – SUNDAY 17.00 – 21.00 Dig.terr. 126 + 813 SKY – Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social networks Facebook and Youtube All works offered by Ars Antiqua are sold with a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law and a detailed information sheet. It is possible to see the works directly at the Milan showroom gallery, in via Pisacane 55 and 57. We personally organize transport and delivery of works, both for Italy and abroad.