Oil Painting on canvas, signed F. Vinea, Firenze. Italy, c.1870

A Cavalier serenading a maiden, in a custom-made, high quality frame.

Francesco Vinea b. August 10, 1845 – d. October 22, 1902, was an Italian painter, known for his period costume genre subjects.  Italy, c.1870 

Canvas size: 24” x 31.5”

Frame size:  34” x 41.5”

 Vinea was not inclined to the erudite historical or literary paintings, or earnest depictions of natural scenes, as was favored by his academic contemporaries. Instead, he worked in imaginative, often raffish or coquettish, and always elegant depictions, of dramas in elegant period costume occurring in equally ornamented interiors. His paintings proved popular in England and France, and earned him quite a comfortable living. His studio on boulevard Prince Eugene in Florence was described as a hoard of exotic items, eclectic furniture, and decorative items: a collection often finding its way as ornaments in his paintings. Angelo de Gubernatis describes his studio as his best work of art! The ceiling was painted in tempera with Olympic gods, an allegory to the fine arts, and his collected items were haphazardly displayed.

Gubernatis describes his subject matter:

    His canvases, like the genre paintings of Meissonier, are well-designed witticisms, smiling color, interiors full of life and of panache, costume scenes preening with grace and levity: everything exudes the fashion of the past salons.  Vinea is no doubt one of the few who treat the genre with fertility of imagination, with careful study of detail and a splendor of the palette.