6079 - Læssøe, Thorald

Læssøe, Thorald View of the Tiber near Villa Lontana, looking toward Monte Mario. Oil on canvas, with relining. 27.6 x 39 cm. Monogrammed “TL [ligated]” lower right; inscribed “Th. Laessoe Fra Villa Poniatowsky” on the back of the stretcher. The Danish painter Thorald Læssøe lived in Italy, with brief interruptions, between 1844 and 1857, drawing many of his subjects from Rome and the surrounding Campagna. In particular, the plein air paintings from this period—in which Læssøe’s style bears a resemblance to Købke’s—are characterized by refreshingly unusual perspectives that depart from the prevailing veduta canon. The present composition is a wonderful example of the artist’s distinctive vision. Læssøe focuses on a large stone vase with a pedestal. It stands alone in the foreground, while the landscape behind it is far away, so that the park scenery—which is actually secondary—becomes the main element of this poetic painting. The inscription on the reverse reveals that Læssøe painted this view not far from Villa Poniatowski. Prince Stanisław Poniatowski (1754–1833) was a nephew of the Polish king and spent much of his life in Italy, where he acquired numerous properties and estates. The villa referred to here is likely not the prince’s urban residence in Rome—commonly known as Villa Poniatowski—located not far from Villa Giulia, but rather the picturesque country cottage Villa Lontana at the foot of Monte Mario near the Milvian Bridge. It served as a retreat for Poniatowski and later passed into the ownership of Antonio Canova. It received the name Villa Lontana, commonly used today, from a later owner. Provenance: From the collection of the artist’s descendants (according to information provided by the previous owners). - Please request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is listed in the catalog only in exceptional cases. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.