French School

Contemporary French Modernist Signed Oil Head Portrait of Lady over Gondolas

Lady in Gondola, Venice French/ Italian School, mid 20th century, indistinctly signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 39.5 x 28.75 inches provenance: private collection, Provence c...

Original oil painting by P. Valetti (French, second half 20th century) oil on canvas, unframed size: 24 x 19.75 inches condition: very good provenance: from the artists estate, Franc...

A beautiful mid 20th century french modernist oil on board portrait of a lady. Excellent quality and condition figurative work and ever so decorative! Presented in a carved wood fram...

Lazzaro Donati (Italian, 1926-1977) Oil on board. Colorful woman. La Regina (the Queen) Hand signed upper right. signed, titled on back of panel. Dimensions: (Frame) H 37" x W 29", (Panel) H 27.5" x W 20" Lazzaro Donati was born in Florence and attended the Academy of Fine Arts. He began to paint in 1953, and in 1955 held his first exhibition at the Indiano Gallery in Florence. Within three years eleven exhibitions followed in Italy, and as his reputation grew he was invited to give major exhibitions in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. He is considered one of the foremost contemporary Italian painters and his paintings hang in museums and private collections throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. His work is recalling the works of the french Raoul Dufy, Dunoyer de Segonzac, Francois Gall and Jean Jansem. This particular work is reminiscent of the work of Manolo Valdes. Donati lived and worked at 24 Piazza Donatello in Florence, the square where generations of artists have created works worthy of the great Florentine tradition. As you entered the narrow hallway to his studio, a gilded life-size Venetian angel beckoned you to his door. Once inside, the present faded away and you found yourself in an atelier where early masters might have worked during the Renaissance. Within, luxurious Persian rugs set off the innumerable objects d’art and antique furnishings. Light poured in through the sloping glass wall on the north side. A dramatic stairway led to an overhanging balcony which served as a private gallery where the artist hung some of his favorite early works. To the left of the entrance was a smaller studio where Donati sculpted, with a window overlooking the famous old English cemetery where tourists laid flowers on the grave of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. In the main studio itself, where Donati received his clients in an atmosphere as polished as an office of a top executive, one hardly realized that it was here that the artist actually painted. His easel was covered with Persian blue velvet, the painting on the easel was already framed, his chair was upholstered in red velvet and on his palette the colors were arranged with the precision of a Byzantine mosaic. In a corner stand were his latest works, framed and ready to be sent off to his next exhibition in Europe or America. He spoke fluent French and English as well as some Spanish and German. “After all”, he said, “you've got to know how to sell...