Airoldi, Still Life of Peonies, 1924, Oil on Canvas

Details

Description

Still life with peonies by airoldi, 1924 – oil on canvas depicting a floral arrangement of pink peonies in a … Read more Still life with peonies by airoldi, 1924 – oil on canvas depicting a floral arrangement of pink peonies in a vase, signed and dated “b. Ajroldi 1924” in the lower right corner.

a striking and lush floral arrangement, where the peony is the undisputed star. Rendered with swift brushstrokes, the work skillfully contrasts the exuberant colors of the flowers with the dark background featuring barely sketched elements—a glimpse through a window on the left, a mirror with a console table on the right; the twisted vase itself and the tabletop are inanimate elements, remaining in the background, shadowy, as if they were not meant to interfere with the true protagonist of the painting, the peony.

an elegant and ancient flower that embodies love, affection, prosperity, and nobility of spirit, the peony is known as the rose without thorns, a symbol of romantic love stories but also a symbol of good fortune and auspiciousness.
the artist, bice ajroldi di robbiate (milan 1869 – carimate, como 1955), was a painter who worked in liguria.
bice ajroldi of robbiate, a baroness of noble birth, was born in milan on february 8, 1869.
a student of paolo sala, she exhibited at the 1916 milanese permanente and, in subsequent years, presented her works to the società promotrice di belle arti in milan.
she is a painter of still lifes featuring vases of flowers in dusty, muted colors and sweeping seascapes, which have been exhibited in major group shows, including the permanente in milan (1916, 1917, 1920, and 1923 editions) and the società di belle arti (1930)
in 1917, she exhibited *nel mio studio* and *fiori* at the galleria pesaro in milan as part of the first annual exhibition of the lombard artistic federation.
in 1931, her participation in the first trade union exhibition in sanremo is confirmed, and in 1933 in the exhibition of the interprovincial fascist fine arts union of liguria, the first provincial exhibition, and the fourth art exhibition promoted by the municipality of sanremo, presenting: murano glass, zinnias, rose, violet, aurora carnations, and spring flowers.
in 1938, bice ajroldi of robbiate participated in the exhibition of the society of fine arts and permanent exhibition in milan, displaying the paintings white and lilac carnations and pink carnations.
bice ajroldi of robbiate often stayed in western liguria, enchanted especially by the beauty of the alassio coast.
in alassio, she met and became friends with emilio gola.
in gola’s painting *on the beach*, the two bathers depicted bear the likeness of baroness ajroldi alongside her friend mimina brichetto.
e. Gola, on the beach. Baroness ajroldi and mimina brichetto, 1919.
her love for views of the sea and the ligurian coast is evidenced by the fine painting view of the gulf of savona. See less