Francesco Foschi (Ancona, 1710 - Rome, 1780) Attributable
Winter landscape
oil on canvas (76 x 63 cm - Framed 87 x 75 cm)
The compositional and stylistic elements of this pleasant snowy landscape allow us to link its paternity to the painter Francesco Foschi (Ancona, 1710 - Rome, 1780), who became famous for his evocative winter panoramas. Born in Ancona and of noble origins, the painter received his training in Rome, where he moved with his family in 1729, and subsequently began his activity as an art dealer, when in 1764 he took his last residence in Piazza di Spagna.
It was around the middle of the century that Foschi began to dedicate himself to landscape painting, specializing in views of the countryside and winter landscapes like ours, a genre already widespread in Flanders since the sixteenth century but little frequented in Italy, except by some Venetian authors such as Marco Ricci or Giuseppe Bison.
Foschi's winter panoramas, in particular, often depict glimpses of his Apennines, enjoying great success especially among the wealthy foreigners who traveled the Italian peninsula from north to south during their Grand Tour. Many of his canvases took the path of the English or French market, the latter in particular proving particularly favorable to his production, where he was known in his pictorial maturity as the "Chevalier Foschi".
Recurring in Foschi's paintings is the bare tree (or group of trees) in the foreground covered with snow, which is almost a signature of the artist, as is the motif of the little bridge and the classic country houses with thatched roofs. As often happens in this type of work, the author tends to accentuate the presence of nature, making the characters on a small scale.
Our attribution would be confirmed thanks to the comparison with 'A winter landscape with peasants next to farmhouses' painted by Francesco Foschi - with a compositional structure perfectly overlapping the proposed canvas but of horizontal format - and passed by Christie's in London (Old Master Pictures, 10 Dec 2003, lot 89, URL: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4221021?ldp_breadcrumb=back).
Another composition that is extremely similar is the painting, 'Winter landscape with river, bridge, rustic house and figures', which was instead passed by Sotheby's and always attributed to Francesco Foschi (July 5, 1970, lot 10) URL: https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/entry/photo/141586/Sotheby%27s%C2%A0%E2%80%94%C2%A0Foschi%2...
And again the 'Winter landscape with fortified buildings' of the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre URL: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/a-winter-landscape-with-fortified-buildings-83987
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is completed by a pleasant antique gilded wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet.
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