(Musile di Piave 1860–1941 Venice)
The Narrator, oil on canvas, 91 x 140 cm, framed, (GG)

Provenance:
Christie’s London, 14 June 1974, lot 142;
Italian private collection.

Exhibited:
Mel (Belluno), Pittura di terra e di cielo, Luigi Cima e l’800 Veneziano, 8. october–12. december 2010.

We are grateful to Renzo Trevisan for confirming the authenticity of the work on the basis of the original.

Following a period of study under Pompeo Marino Molmenti (1819–1894) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Vittorio Emanuele forged a close friendship with the painter Giacomo Favretto (see lot 1210). Like Favretto, Bressanin’s career was fundamental in the development of Venetian genre painting in the 19th century.

This intimate interior scene is typical of the artist’s work in the 1880s. The work demonstrates Bressanin’s skill as a narrative painter. The lively interior with figures depicts the interior of a Venetian family home. The man on the left draws the attention of the group. We see his gestures and the facial expressions of the people in front of him who are listening attentively. The woman beside him smiles while the others follow his story concentratedly. The storyteller holds a glass of wine in one hand with a jug standing in front of him. The modest room is furnished with benches, chairs and various containers in the background.

The seated girls are working on a large piece of lace: Venetian lace manufacture has a long tradition, especially on the small lagoon island of Burano.