Francesco Londonio (Milan, 1723 – 1783), Shepherd with sheep and goats

Francesco Londonio (Milan, 1723 – 1783)

Shepherd with sheep and goats

Oil on canvas, 101,5 x 147 cm – with frame 115 x 158

The canvas in question depicts a vivid and realistic hilly landscape, enhanced by a flock of goats and sheep, peacefully grazing under the watchful eye of two shepherds. The iridescent hues depict the flock's silky coats, alternating rich browns with luminous whites, igniting the composition with a vivid candor, lending brilliance to the overall effect and balancing with the darker hues and the surrounding landscape. The lifelike and accurate rendering of the herd of sheep and the attention to natural detail are striking, as can be seen in the thick vegetation and the warm, pink clouds visible in the distance.

Considering the subject matter and pictorial language, the work under consideration can be attributed to Francesco Londonio. Born in Milan in 1723, he initially trained in the workshop of Ferdinando Porta, later traveling to Parma, Rome, and Naples. Around the end of the 1740s, he shifted from historical painting to the animalistic and pastoral genre, which was widely popular and appreciated in Lombardy. In this regard, the painter drew inspiration from Dutch artists such as Van Laer, known as Bamboccio, Romeyn, and engravers such as Berchem, Van de Velde, and Potter, as well as Italian painters such as Castiglione, known as Grechetto, a model for his rendering of animals, and Ceruti, a master of figure composition. He favored mostly small-format works, depicting shepherds and farmers with rapid brushstrokes and a vigorous, chromatic painterly texture. His talent made him one of the most highly regarded reality painters active in Lombardy. He worked for important local aristocratic families, such as the Grianta, the Alari, and the Mellerio, creating cycles of canvases for their palaces. Around forty of his paintings are preserved in the Borromeo collection on Isola Bella, at least two of which were commissioned by Cardinal Vitaliano Borromeo. Beyond his favorite pastoral themes, Londonio also cultivated still life, portraiture, and engraving, producing numerous etchings. He founded the Foghetti Theater and also played a leading role in the revival of the nativity scene using painted and cut-out paper applied to cardboard, reviving the tradition of the Neapolitan nativity scene in Milan. He died in the Lombard capital in 1783. His works are preserved at the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, and some prints are in the Calcografia Nazionale in Rome.

For comparison with the work analyzed here, see in particular the studies of goats made in oil on paper and in watercolor preserved at the Accademia Carrara and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana of the painting of the same subject preserved at the Casa Martelli Museum in Florence.

For Italy only: with Ars Antiqua it is possible to pay in installments up to a maximum of €7.500 at ZERO INTEREST, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS

E.g. Total €4.500 = Monthly installment €300 for 15 months.

E.g. Total €3.600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months.

For amounts exceeding €7.500 or for a longer period of time (over 15 installments), we can provide a personalized payment.

Contact us directly to get the best quote.

LIVE

– SUNDAY 17.00pm – 21.00pm Dig.terr. 126 – Sky 824

– Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social networks Facebook and Youtube

All the works proposed by Ars Antiqua are sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law and an accurate information sheet.

It is possible to see the works directly at the showroom gallery in Milan, in via Pisacane 55 and 57.

We personally organize transport and deliveries of the works, both for Italy and abroad.