The Proposal
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Research by Barbra Cropper
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Acc No 206
Artist Federico Andreotti Artist dates 1847-1930 Medium oil on canvas Size 101.6 x 74.9 cm (40 x 29.5 in) Date painted 1890-91 Inscr: signed Donor Dorothy Ward Mosedale Burnsall, 185 St Andrews Road South, Lytham St Annes Date donated 1 December 1970 Inscribed on back: Painted by Professor F Andreotti. Exhibited Florence 1891 |
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ARTIST
Federico Andreotti, occasionally seen as Federigo, was born in Florence on 6 March 1847 and died in 1930. He received his artistic training at the Florentine Academy of Fine Art and was a student under the President, Enrico Pollastrini (1817-1876). Andreotti had won a scholarship and went on to achieve an appointment as professor in 1879. He was prolific as a painter in Rome, Florence and other cities in Italy. While little is known about his exhibition history in Florence, Andreotti is known to have exhibited at the Royal Academy in London during the period 1879-1883. His 1881 exhibition of a painting called A Pious Fraud shows a drunkard slumped near empty bottles and kegs of beer, quite unlike the paintings he is known for today. The painting became an engraving and was reproduced in the Times. (2) Around 1864 he won an important commission from the Italian king to paint Savonarola. Girolamo Savonarola was a 15th century fanatical Dominican preacher and moral dictator of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498. (3) This work was initially criticised, which prompted Andreotti to abandon historical themes and devote himself to portraits and period scenes. (4) These were highly sought after by American and European collectors. His paintings are always in a realistic genre and most often of aristocratic scenes in dress from the 17th and 18th centuries of the Rococo period. The elaborate period dress and affected airs are sometimes described as 'Rococo Revival', popular between 1840 and 1870, and also known as the ‘French Antique’ style. (5) The late 19th century saw a resurgence of interest in historical figurative paintings set in this period of elegance and many artists, including Andreotti, looked to satisfy the growing desire for these works. (6) The subjects of Andreotti’s paintings are often young women and couples in various stages of courtship with titles such as Courtship and The Love Letter. Musical instruments and romantic landscapes are often depicted. A number of his paintings were reproduced in important art reference books during the late 19th century. PAINTING This graceful and elegant painting was exhibited in Florence, Italy in 1891. In this painting, one of at least three with the same title, a jauntily posed gentleman looks fondly towards his beloved as he symbolically holds her skirt, which is decorated with a garland of roses, some of which have fallen to the ground. The beautiful young woman pretends not to have noticed as she lightly touches the keys of an ornate harpsichord. Roses were a popular symbol in the Rococo period and are still considered an ambassador of love. (1) This sentimental scene accurately and intricately depicts gold Rococo furniture with its curved, feminine legs and elaborate picture frames. On the table, below the mirror, sit two baluster-shaped oriental vases with lids and, according to Bernard Whitworth, clockmaker and Fellow of the British Horological Institute, an ornate late 17th century French style clock with a tortoiseshell-inlaid case (personal communication, 2014). As in all of Andreotti’s work, including those with landscape backgrounds, the details are meticulously painted, showing his early training as an academic artist. The brushstrokes and palette show the influence of the Impressionist movement of the time. Other Works by Federico Andreotti  'The Proposal’,
oil on canvas by Federico Andreotti
(2) The Proposal
Sold 2014 at Christies in London Size: 17 ¾ x 13 7/8 in (45 x 35.3 cm)  'The Proposal’, B&W photo of
oil on canvas by Federico Andreotti
(3) The Proposal
Sold at Christies in London Size: 28 ¾ x 23 ¼ in (73 x 58.4 cm) 
'A Lady of Fashion',
oil on canvas by Federico Andreotti
(4) A Lady of Fashion c1885-90
Sold 2014 at Sotheby’s in New York Size: 11 x 9.1 in (27.9 x 23.2 cm)  ‘The Chess Game’,
Oil on canvas by Federico Andreotti
(5) The Chess Game
Sold 2009 in Zurich Size: 20 ¼ x 30 in (51.4 x 76.2 cm) Provenance: the Collection of the late Sir Jay Chernis  'The Persistent Suitor',
oil on canvas by Federico Andreotti
(6) The Persistent Suitor
Sold 2005 in New York Signed: upper right, F. Andreotti Size: 17¾ x 13¾ in (45.1 x 35 cm) Provenance: from a Californian Collection |
REFERENCES
(1) Peters, Lord Hayden, (2011), Art of Mourning, Symbolism Sunday, The Rose @ <artofmourning.com/> (2) Times, (1881), A Pious Fraud, Graphic (London), 6 August 1881, 19th Century British Newspapers @ <britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk> (3) Cavendish, R, (1998), Execution of Florentine friar Savonarola @ <historytoday.com> (4) Arte Ricerca, (AR) (2015), Federico Andreotti (Firenze 1847-1930) @ <artericerca.com> (5) Elliott, Franziska, (2013), The Rococo Revival Style Guide c1852 @ <prezi.com> (6) Laterza, M, (2014), Tute’ Arte, A meeting place for artists, Federico Andreotti ~ The Love Letter @ <tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/> (7) Giglio, G, (2015), Federico Andreotti, Milano, Antiques, Paintings, Furniture and Antiques, @ <antichitagiglio.it> (January, 2015) (8) Howard, L, (2013), vads, The National Inventory of Continental European Paintings @ <vads.ac.uk> (9) International Styles, (2004-12), Styles of Furniture in History, French Rococo @ <furniturestyles.net> (10) Jackson, J, (2012), Western Civilization, Volume II: Since 1500 @ <books.google.co.uk/books (11) REHS Galleries, Federico Andreotti (1847-1930) @ <rehs.com/Federico_Andreotti> (12) Wallace, General Lew, (1894), Famous Paintings of the World, p 36, Ill @ <slideshare.net> and <rehs.com/Federico_Andreotti> (13) Sartin, S, (2001), Fylde Borough Collection of Works of Art @ <stephen.sartin/lythamstannesartcollection> Images (1) Andreotti, F, (1890-1), The Proposal, Acc No 206, image available from <bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings> now superseded by Art UK @ artuk.org (2) Andreotti, F, The Proposal, image available from <arcadja.com/auctions/en/andreotti> (3) Curtis, T, 1989, The Lyle Official Arts Review 1989, Andreotti, The Proposal, Lyle Publications, p 42 (4) Andreotti, F, A Lady of Fashion, image available from <sothebys.com> (5) Andreotti, F, The Chess Game, after Federico Andreotti, image available from <jmrw.com> (6) Andreotti, F, The Persistent Suitor, image available from <wikimedia.org> |
