66 - Luigi Serena (1855–1911)

Luigi Serena (1855–1911) Femo Pase, 1885–1890 Oil on canvas 122.8 x 71.3 cm Signature: “LSerena” on the front Provenance: Veneto Banca SpA in LCA Bibliography: G. Secrétant, “Luigi Serena,” Milan, 1911, plate before p. 9 (ill.), p. 20 O. Stefani, Catalog of the exhibition “Premio Biennale Luigi Serena,” Montebelluna, 1964, p. 12 Various authors, “Luigi Serena,” Treviso, 1985, pp. 47, 79 O. Stefani, ed., “Luigi Serena. 1855–1911,” Ponzano Veneto, 2006, pp. 26–27, 82, 86; ill. 63 E. Manzato, “Homage to Luigi Serena,” Montebelluna, 2019, I, pp. 11–12 A. Lanaro, “Serena, Luigi,” in “La Pittura in Italia. L’Ottocento,” Milan, 1990, II, p. 2021 Exhibitions: “Exhibition of Paintings by Luigi Serena,” Treviso, 1911 “Second Provincial Exhibition of Contemporary Art and Luigi Serena Retrospective,” Treviso, 1954 “Luigi Serena Biennial Award,” Montebelluna, 1964 “Celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of National Unification. Regions and Testimonies of Italy,” Museo del Vittoriano, Rome, 2011 “Tribute to Luigi Serena (1855–1911),” Villa Romivo, Montebelluna, 2019 Condition. Support: 80% (re-stretched on a new stretcher, with proper lining using linen canvas and thermoplastic adhesive in 2002) Condition. Surface: 90% (limited flaking and retouching) For direct WhatsApp assistance before and during the live auction: +39 346 12 999 80 // Direct assistance via WhatsApp before and during the auction: +39 346 12 999 80 Luigi Serena, the painter of choice for Treviso’s bourgeoisie at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, had no direct students, but he was admired by younger artists for his bohemian and anti-bourgeois spirit—and as a moral guide—becoming a cornerstone of the Marca’s artistic landscape. It was the avant-garde artists, led by Arturo Martini, who organized Serena’s posthumous exhibition shortly after his death in 1911. Although he worked primarily in the province, the artist successfully participated in the most important exhibitions of the time: in Venice (1881), Milan (1883), Turin (1884), Florence (1886), Paris (1888), and Munich (1890). He was among those invited to the 1897 Venice Biennale (Eugenio Manzato, “Treviso,” in *La Pittura in Italia. L’Ottocento*, Milan, 1990, p. 213). In the first monograph dedicated to Serena, the speech delivered on the occasion of the “Posthumous Exhibition of the Works of Luigi Serena,” Gilberto Secrétant mentions the painting—along with another work in this auction, “Lo Stallo”—as part of “that entire series, full of cheerfulness, wit, and vitality, of paintings inspired by the lively folk fairs teeming with movement, light, and noise, by the fruit and flower markets with their diverse figures; paintings rich in brilliant, distinctive touches, such as those small works in which humble domestic animals come to life, or those that preserve, with admirable truth, old, characteristic corners that no longer exist—aspects of the city forever destroyed” (Secrétant 1911, pp. 20). Ottorino Stefani links the work to the theatrical inventions of Giacinto Gallina (1852–1897), “a style of acting tinged with ancient and gentle melancholy, suddenly resolved through a lively yet restrained and witty humor that breathes new life, in a modern key, into the classic 18th-century motifs of the “pute onorate” and the meticulous, “chatty” “pettegole” , the ‘gruff’ uncles, and the somewhat simple-minded ‘morosi’ ready to make ‘pase’ with the most mischievous and shrewd ‘morose’” (“Luigi Serena. 1855–1911,” Ponzano Veneto, 2006, pp. 26–27). Paolo Rizzi interprets the work as Serena’s break from Favretto—"who in those years was turning toward a more sparkling 18th-century style"—while noting "the parallel with Nono, and in particular with the more intimate Nono of 'Lettera al moroso,'" revealing “his reflective streak, his prudent restraint, even where he most indulges in the splendor of color” and the connection to “folkloric anecdotes” in a “playfully rustic” vein, which Serena may have developed after returning to Treviso a few years earlier (“The Season of Verismo in Venice and the Veneto” in “Luigi Serena,” Treviso, 1985, pp. 47–48). Along with “I buranelli” and “La lettera del moroso,” “Femo pase” is part of a group centered on the theme of love, marked by three moments in popular life. The girlfriend, who has by now forgiven her “boyfriend” in her heart, pretends to be angry—that is, she does not turn around yet—but her mischievous smile already anticipates the sweetness of the kisses that will seal their reconciliation. The young man, however, is no fool either; he is well aware of his power of persuasion and his undisputed charm. He is bold and cheerful, and he is perfectly convinced that the girl will give in in a few moments—just as she has on other occasions» (Stefani 2006, p. 82). “The painting ‘Fermo pase’ is executed with extraordinary psychological subtlety and good-natured, folksy wit. The compositional rhythm is broad and solemn, with a narrative flair that reveals a keen interest