ALCIDE DAVIDE CAMPESTRINI | Patriotic reading

This painting is in good overall condition and presents well. The canvas is unlined, on what appears to be the original stretcher. There are some scattered faintly visible losses in the paint surface, primarily in the lower left and in an intermittent thin vertical line towards the right edge (in the easel), however these are not visually distracting. Ultra-violet light reveals scattered very small spots of retouching, notably in the figure's right wrist, a few tiny spots in her cheek, and in the background in the upper-right quadrant.
"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."

In an artist's studio interior probably Campestrini's studio, bathed in a delicate light, a young woman reads, reclining on a chaise longue. Raised in a family with liberal opinions, Alcide Davide Campestrini is an artist with a strong patriotic fiber, and the subject here depicted, a simple genre scene at first sight, is not as harmless as it may seem. Indeed, the title of the painting is written on an old label on the reverse of the work: "Lettura Patriottica". The young reader, dressed in a red shirt that inevitably evokes Garibalbi and the unification of Italy, is probably absorbed in a newspaper or a political pamphlet reflecting the liberal views of the painter.