Pier Francesco Cittadini Il Milanese

Pier Francesco Cittadini (Milan 1616-1681 Bologna) Portrait of a lady, full-length, in a black dress with a gold chain and brooch, a white handkerchief in her left hand, standing beside a lap dog and a sliver-bound prayer book on a table draped with a red cloth bears inscription 'LIVIA ARCIMOLDI F. GUIDONIS PATRY MEDIOLANENSIS./UXOR IO. ALOYSY DE MUGIASCA F. NICOLAI ANNO 1564' (upper edge) oil on canvas 196 x 108cm (77 3/16 x 42 1/2in). A noble villa in Lombardy, from which acquired at the end of the 19th century by an old Milanese family and thence by descent to the present owner Cittadini's style displays a number of influences from having worked in diverse regions of Italy during the course of his career. After initially studying under Daniele Crespi in Milan, he entered the Bolognese workshop of Guido Reni, who exerted a strong impact on him and Cittadini fast became established in that city. In the mid-1640s he then made a journey to Rome, which transformed both the subject-matter of his art and his technique. He appears to have been influenced there by the Venetian traits of Pietro Testa and Pier Francesco Mola in particular. After returning to Bologna in 1650 he won considerable acclaim for his still lifes and portraits, in which he united realism and classicism and which have been admired for their warm and direct naturalism.

Pier Francesco Cittadini (Milan 1616–1681 Bologna) Portrait of a young girl with her dog, oil on canvas, 76.7 x 55 cm, framed We are grateful to Professor Mina Gregori for identifying the present painting as a late work by Cittadini. The present painting was executed during Cittadini’’’’s final period. The seat and the young girl’’’’s garment distinctly illustrate the artist’’’’s stylistic development during the 1670s. Cittadini was trained in the workshops of Daniele Crespi and Guido Reni and initially painted mostly religious motifs. He was later to became one of the celebrated Bolognese portraitists of his age, as well as a still life painter.

Pier Francesco Cittadini (Milan 1616-1681Bologna) Portrait of a lady, full-length, in a red andgold brocade dress standing before a red curtain oil on canvas 200 x 115cm (78 3/4 x 45 1/4in). Estimate: �25,000 - 35,000, � 28,000 - 39,000, US$ 41,000 -57,000 Request Condition Report PROVENANCE: A noble villa in Lombardy, from which acquired at the end of the19th century by an old Milanese family and thence by descent to thepresent owner Cittadini's style displays a number of influences from havingworked in diverse regions of Italy during the course of his career.After initially studying under Daniele Crespi (1598-1630) in Milan,he entered the Bolognese workshop of Guido Reni (1575-1642), whoexerted a strong impact on him and Cittadini fast becameestablished in that city. In the mid-1640s he then made a journeyto Rome, which transformed both the subject-matter of his art andhis technique. He appears to have been influenced there by theVenetian traits of Pietro Testa (1611-1650) and Pier Francesco Mola(1612-1666) in particular. After returning to Bologna in 1650 hewon considerable acclaim for his still lifes and portraits, inwhich he united realism and classicism and which have been admiredfor their warm and direct naturalism.

LOT 305 PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR PIER FRANCESCO CITTADINI MILAN 1616 - 1681 BOLOGNA PORTRAIT OF A GIRL WITH HER DOG 40,000—60,000 USD measurements measurements note 36 by 39 7/8 in.; 91.5 x 101.5 cm Description inscribed and dated upper left AETATIS SVAE. VI. / MDCLXXVII. oil on canvas

LOT 168 PROPERTY FROM A SPANISH PRIVATE COLLECTION - PIER FRANCESCO CITTADINI MILAN 1616 - 1681 BOLOGNA CIRCE AND ODYSSEUS 30,000—50,000 GBP oil on canvas PROVENANCE Private collection, Germany; Acquired from the above the grandfather of the present owner, circa 1900; Thence by descent. CATALOGUE NOTE This is an exciting new addition to the oeuvre of Pier Francesco Cittadini, an artist born in Milan and originally trained by Daniele Crespi in that city. Cittadini moved to Bologna at the age of seventeen to join the workshop of Guido Reni, whose influence is palpable in the present work. This painting may be best compared with the artist's Allegory of Spring in the Galleria Estense, Modena, and his Martyrdom of Saint Stephen in Bologna, church of S. Stefano.1 We are grateful to Prof. Daniele Benati, Dott. Emilio Negro, and Dottssa. Nicosetta Roio for independently proposing the attribution to Cittadini. 1. For which see E. Negro, La Scuola di Guido Reni , Modena 1992, p. 190-1, figs. 169-170, and p. 186, fig. 164.