Alberto PASINI (1826-1899). Venice. Oil on panel. Signed lower left. 11 x 21.5 cm. Note: After attending the Parma School of Fine Arts, Alberto Pasini studied with Théodore Chassériau from 1854, where he improved his oil technique and began his Orientalist works. In March 1855, he became the official painter of a diplomatic mission for the French government and discovered Persia, a trip during which he produced some sixty paintings and numerous sketches. On his return, he specialized in Orientalist-themed paintings, which were to make him a success and a fortune in France and Italy. Today, the artist is represented in numerous public collections in Italy and the United States.

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