9 - FRANCESCO PIGE (1822–1862)

FRANCESCO PIGE (1822–1862) Portrait of the Negri Family with the Acropolis in the Background signed and dated “F. PIGE 1850” (lower left) oil on canvas 124 × 115 cm. (48.8 × 45.3 in.) oil on canvas Footnotes: Provenance Private collection, Athens. Pige produced some of the most beautiful examples of early Greek portraiture. M. Lambraki-Plaka This tour de force of 19th-century family portraiture showcases an accomplished artist at the height of his artistic powers, wonderfully blending echoes of the German Renaissance with influences from 17th-century Dutch masters. Magnificent in its modest grandeur and utterly characteristic in both style and sentiment, the painting embodies the defining elements of Pige’s unique expressive language: meticulous attention to detail, clarity of line, rich color, a miniature-like, crystalline brushstroke, and a predilection for the naive coupled with a strong sense of realism. Despite the stylistic austerity and formal rigidity—which reflect strict social decorum—the painting is imbued with intuitive sophistication and a childlike freshness of vision that brings the subjects vividly to life, right down to the last detail. While family portraiture is a rare occurrence in 19th-century Greek painting—the most notable exception being N. Kounelakis’s, *The Artist’s Family*, painted a few years later—*Portrait of the Negris Family with the Acropolis in the Background*—proudly continues the long European tradition of depicting the family as a cohesive group led by a dominant male. Indeed, standing behind a scholar’s desk and reciting a text from an open book while raising his index finger in a didactic gesture, Constantinos Negris—a prominent professor at the newly established University of Athens, who also fought in the Greek War of Independence —leaves no doubt as to who sets the tone in this household. Yet his compositional weight does not overwhelm the rest of the sitters. Rather, as seen in many 17th-century Dutch group portraits, the integrated ensemble ultimately prevails over the individual. The viewer’s eye harmoniously wanders from face to face, never losing sight of the group. As much as their painstakingly realistic depiction calls for close visual attention, each person contributes to the overall compositional dynamic. The viewer’s eye is drawn into the picture by the gesture of the young girl in the lower left corner, who is offering a rosebud—a symbol of love—to her siblings on the right. The gaze travels seamlessly from her hand to the hand of her sister, who is already holding a rose, and then inevitably to the boutonniere of her older brother in the upper right, before coming full circle in the buttonhole of the figure standing on the left. This circular movement of roses, which metaphorically embraces the entire family, signifies the enduring bonds of love that keep them united. The setting is unmistakably that of a noble, prosperous, and cultured household, as indicated by the elegant costumes, the plush cushions, the bookshelf glimpsed behind the velvet curtain in the top left, and the lavish carpet, which repeats the rose motif to reinforce its symbolism. The geographical location is revealed through an opening in the upper right corner, offering a view of the Acropolis of Athens under the brilliant blue skies of Attica. In the spirit of Romanticism and Neoclassicism prevailing across Europe at the time, the timeless monument also serves to remind the viewer of the glorious legacy of a nascent modern Greece, which had won its independence just a few decades earlier. This wonderful vignette, which offers an escape from the otherwise limited compositional space, is crowned by a winding vine—a symbol of growth and prosperity—and a visual metaphor for how the lives of family members remain permanently intertwined. This symbolism, which conveys deep confidence in the family’s future, is further accentuated by the dove in the hand of the young Phocyon Negris right in the center of the canvas—an emblematic motif in European child portraiture laden with historical, religious, and emotional meaning. Finally, a beautiful wall painting, appropriately flanked by two fluted classical columns and framed by a continuous Greek key border, depicts the allegorical image of Nike holding a wreath, poised to crown what appears to be an exemplary family with a promising future destined to help restore Greece to its former glory. For further information on this lot, please visit Bonhams.com