A magnificent tribute to the timeless allure of the Grand Tour is presented in the catalogue of the forthcoming 19th and 20th century Paintings and Sculptures auction, scheduled for 24 June 2026.
At the heart of the sale stands a refined group of views that capture the memory of places and the poetry of light.
Rome, the eternal protagonist of the foreign imagination, reveals itself through monumental vistas and intimate perspectives, immortalised by the sensitivity of Italian and international artists—particularly those from Northern Europe—who found in the city an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Paintings by Antonietta Brandeis, Thomas Dessoulavy and Michelangelo Pacetti (lot 41, €18,000–20,000) bear witness to that flourishing season of nineteenth-century veduta painting, in which topographical precision and Romantic sentiment coexist in perfect balance.
Lot 41
Michelangelo Pacetti
"La messa in bolla della fontana di Piazza San Pietro sotto il pontificato di Pio VII" 1843, oil on canvas (cm 70x90) .
Estimate € 18.000 - 20.000
Alongside the celebrated Roman scenes emerge rare and evocative glimpses of other horizons, true travel impressions: from Gerolamo Gianni’s Malta to a rare view of Basel, complemented by a sublime Alpine landscape by Domenico Ferri I and several tranquil lakeside views by the Canella family (lots 38, 40, 97).
Lot 38
Giuseppe Canella
"Scorcio di Bellagio" 1846 oil on canvas (cm 49x72).
Estimate € 4.000 - 5.000
Particularly captivating is a precious sketchbook by Cesare Biseo (lot 42), densely filled with drawings and notes, which ideally accompanies the viewer along an itinerary stretching from Rome to Tobruk, evoking both the adventurous and profoundly cultural character of nineteenth-century travel. This collection celebrates, with elegance and restraint, the splendour of the veduta tradition and the sophisticated taste of the period.
Lot 42
Cesare Biseo
"Ricordi di un viaggio da Roma a Tubruc - Via Napoli, Messina, Malta, Tripoli, Bengasi, Tubruc" 1885.
Estimate € 2.000 - 3.000
A great interpreter of the Belle Époque, Giovanni Boldini is represented by two works: a vibrant Venetian view, executed with the rapid, gestural brushwork that conveys the immediacy of his vision (lot 129, €20,000–25,000), and a precious watercolour dedicated to “La Divina”, exemplifying the nervous, dynamic touch that made him one of the most celebrated masters of his age (lot 130, €20,000–25,000).
Lot 129
Giovanni Boldini
"Palazzo Ducale e San Marco dalla Riva degli Schiavoni" oil on panel (cm 26x34,5).
Estimate € 20.000 - 25.000
Lot 130
Giovanni Boldini
"La Divina" mixed media on paper (cm 29x44).
Estimate € 20.000 - 25.000
The female figure is celebrated throughout the sale, from Federico Zandomeneghi to Antonio Piatti, as well as Enrico Scuri and Victor Brugairolles (lot 127, €10,000–15,000), offering a rich panorama of interpretations that combine grace, modernity and sentiment.
Also of great appeal are Guglielmo Ciardi’s Canale della Giudecca (lot 128, €15,000–18,000) and Giuseppe Biasi’s Ballu tundu (lot 131, €12,000–14,000).
Lot 127
Victor Brugairolles
"Le lampion" oil on canvas (cm 240x120)
Estimate € 10.000 - 15.000
Lot 128
Guglielmo Ciardi
"Canale della Giudecca", Venezia, oil on canvas (cm 55x85).
Estimate € 15.000 - 18.000
Lot 131
Giuseppe Biasi da Teulada
"Ballu tundu" oil on canvas (cm 110x160).
Estimate € 12.000 - 14.000
The journey concludes symbolically with a fascinating and playful group of works from the heirs of the Bergamo-born Giovanni Battista Galizzi (lot 137, €4,000–6,000), a remarkably modern artist who remains unjustly little known. His artistic production is presented as an “exploratory” moment within the sale, inviting viewers to rediscover, through fresh eyes, an original personality within the Italian artistic landscape at the turn of the twentieth century.
Lot 137
Giovanni Battista Galizzi
"La baraonda" oil on canvas mounted on masonite (cm 94x162).
Estimate € 4.000 - 6.000