Lot 42
  • 42

Giuseppe Bonito

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 USD
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Description

  • Giuseppe Bonito
  • "Il femminiello"
  • oil on canvas

Condition

The canvas has a wax relining. Overall the picture is in very good condition with only a couple isolated retouches. The most notable are found in an isolated area in the darks of the blue drapery in the figure at right. Otherwise the varnish is fresh with strong coloration and the painting could be hung in it's current state. In a carved gilt wood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This extraordinary painting is a rare, 18th century depiction of a femminiello (cross dressed male), capturing a glimpse of a fascinating subculture that is entrenched in Neapolitan history. These men were usually the youngest child of impoverished families, and would be brought up as a femminiello and dressed as women from a young age.  They were often uneducated, illiterate and coddled by their mothers.  Femminielli, while the subject of much amusement, were met with good humor rather than derision and were accepted almost as a third sex.  They were embraced by their neighbors in the backstreet viali of Naples and were entrusted by all with the care of children and household duties and errands.  In Naples, still today, the tradition of the femminiello remains strong and secret rites are performed for these cross dressing men, viewed entirely seperately from more modern transvestite communities.

This painting will be included in a forthcoming Giuseppe Bonito monograph compiled by Achille della Ragione.


1.  A. della Ragione, "I Femminielli", in Guide Campania, Campania (online version).