Pair of “Old World” Elder Portraits in Giltwood Frames

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On offer are a pair of mid 20th-century character portraits, commonly referred to in the antique trade as "Old World" … Read more On offer are a pair of mid 20th-century character portraits, commonly referred to in the antique trade as "Old World" or "Peasant" portraits, in that they represent an idealized view of elderly European rural life.
This set features an elderly man with a long white beard, wearing a red fisherman’s cap and smoking a pipe. He’s paired with an elderly woman wearing a traditional headscarf (babushka) with floral details.
The signature on the woman's portrait appears to be "Santi". And while there were many Italian artists with this surname, these small-scale character studies were a popular genre for various 20th-century professional painters such as Luigi Santi or Cesare Santi who specialized in nostalgic, realistic subjects for the tourist and export markets.
Contrasting with the rural character of the subjects, the portraits are housed in ornate, giltwood frames defined by elaborate Baroque-style scrollwork and backed in scarlet velvet. The inner burgundy velvet-wrapped liner with a silver-toned rope-twist border was a very popular high-end framing choice from the 1950s to the 1970s.
At 11" wide by 13" high, these are considered "small-scale" or "miniature" works, designed to be hung in an intimate space like a study, hallway, or as part of a gallery wall.
Similar imagery of the "Old Man with a Pipe" and "Old Woman in a Scarf" was so popular that it was sometimes reimagined in later vintage prints as Santa and Mrs. Claus in an "Old World" style. But we bet you’ve already thought of that.
Signature/Maker’s mark: Lower right on woman (photo #6). Unframed dimensions: 5.5 w x 7.5 h. See less