Francesco Gonin

Commissioned by King Vittorio Emanuele II for the wedding of his daughter
La Principessa Reale M.B.de Savoia (her sale: Christie's, London, 22 April 2005, lot 1169)

i.) (Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Italy) The canvas has been re-lined. There are scattered areas of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably scattered minor spots to the background, more concentrated spots along the right edge, large spots to the figure's right knee and to the sword at the upper right, and lines of retouching in a horizontal band 1/4 down the composition, above which are scattered crescent-shaped areas of retouching. Apart from scattered very minor flecks of paint loss, small scuffs, and scattered spots of craquelure, this work is in very good condition, with fine detail and rich colours and tones, and ready to hang. Held in a narrow, simple, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame. ii.) (Maria Adelaide of Austria, Queen of Italy) The canvas has been re-lined. There are scattered areas of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably scattered spots throughout the background, more concentrated areas at the centre of the right edge and along the lower edge, and lines of retouching in a horizontal band 1/4 down the composition, above which are scattered crescent-shaped areas of retouching. Apart from scattered very minor flecks of paint loss, small scuffs, and scattered spots of craquelure, this work is in very good condition, with fine detail and rich colours and tones, and ready to hang. Held in a narrow, simple, gold-painted moulded plaster and 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Vittorio Emanuele II (1820-1878) was the King of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia from 1849 to 1861. These grand portraits of the King and his wife, Maria Adelaide of Habsburg, were painted by one of the most popular and respected artists in Turin in the middle of the nineteenth century, Francesco Gonin, just before the Vittorio Emanuele II assumed the title King of Italy and Padre de Patria ('Father of the Fatherland'). He was to be the first king of a united Italy, a title he held until his death in 1878.

Francesco Gonin (1808-1889) was an Italian painter, printmaker, illustrator and stage designer. Born in Turin, he studied at the Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti in that city under Giovan Batista Biscarra (1790-1851) and Luigi Vacca (1778-1854). Gonin found fame as the major illustrator of I promessi sposi, the most famous and widely read novel of the Italian language, and the Storia della colonna infame by Alessandro Manzoni (published together in 1840); Gonin was one of the first Italians to specialise in lithography and wood-engraving. An extremely versatile artist, he painted historical, religious and genre subjects, and after collaborating with Vacca in the 1830s, received royal commissions for frescoes. By the time Gonin painted the present work, he had collaborated on the ballroom of the Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Carignano in Turin and the Sala delle Verne in the Castello di Racconigi, as well as succeeding Vacca as stage designer at the Teatro Regio in Turin.