Francesco Lord Mancini, Amalfi Coast, 1800s-1900s, Watercolor

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Antique watercolor in a gilded wooden frame depicting the Amalfi Coast, signed by Francesco Lord Mancini. Francesco Mancini—also known as … Read more Antique watercolor in a gilded wooden frame depicting the Amalfi Coast, signed by Francesco Lord Mancini. Francesco Mancini—also known as Francesco Lord Mancini—enrolled in 1844, at the age of fourteen, in the drawing class at the Royal Institute of Fine Arts in Naples, and from 1846 in the landscape class, under the guidance of the painter Gabriele Smargiassi. He presented at the Bourbon Exhibition of 1851 a Landscape Study from Villa Gallo in Capodimonte; at the 1855 exhibition, Landscape with Rocks, Figures, and Herds and Crusaders Chopping Wood in a Forest to Build War Machines; and at the 1859 exhibition, the painting At the Ford (Naples, Royal Palace). With scenes from the Risorgimento, he participated in the 1861 National Exhibition in Florence. There he exhibited: Episode of October 1, 1860, on the Plains of Capua, and Rest of Garibaldi and the Garibaldini in the Forests of Calabria. This body of work, linked to the events surrounding Italian unification, represents a brief interlude in his artistic career. His paintings *Outpost of Garibaldi’s Troops* and *Bersaglieri in Action* are now housed in the City of Naples. By the end of the 1850s, Francesco Mancini had abandoned academic themes to devote himself to painting from life. He frequented the studio of Filippo Palizzi, who encouraged him to develop a more direct and intimate relationship with nature and urged him to draw directly from life, painting outdoors. Around 1858, he thus began a series of trips to the outskirts of Naples, to Puglia, Calabria, and Abruzzo, in search of new landscapes to paint, with a meticulous focus on naturalistic details, in order to make the vision of reality more perceptible. He came into contact with the group of painters identified with the Resìna School, also known as the Republic of Portici. After his stays in London, he earned the nickname “Lord” for his almost English elegance and also to distinguish him from the 17th- and 18th-century painter of the same name, Francesco Mancini. Provenance: Naples, early 19th century. General Condition: Good condition. Note: Frame not contemporary with the painting. Dimensions: 68x55cm. Documentation: Certificate of Authenticity. See less