A Pair of “Pompeian” Interior Scenes
By Egisto Sarri of Florence
Executed in oil on canvas, and housed in matching hand-carved giltwood frames, depicting intimate domestic life of the ladies of Ancient Rome and Pompeii in an archaic architectural setting. One signed, upper right, “E. Sarri.”
Italian, circa 1880
Egisto Sarri (1837-1901)
Sarri, born in Figline del Arno, Italy, in 1837, commenced his artistic journey at the Fine Arts Academy in Firenze in 1850 under Giuseppe Bezzuoli and Enrico Pollestrini. By 1858, he became one of Antonio Ciseri’s last and most acclaimed students.
Sarri’s exceptional talent swiftly earned recognition, with his painting “The Apotheosis of Madonna” exhibited at the Alinari competition in 1900. While in Florence, he frequented Caffe Michelangelo with fellow artists, maintaining his unwavering dedication to Ciseri’s academic style, evident in notable works like “Rossini” (1866) and “Victor Emmanuel II de Savoie” (1870), and his self-portrait at the Uffizi (1899-1901).
In 1863, King Victor Emmanuel II commissioned Sarri to paint “Corradino di Svevia,” later housed in the Uffizi Museum by Victor Emmanuel III in 1903. Sarri’s diverse portfolio included religious scenes such as “The Madonna of the Rosary” (1889) and “The Immaculate Conception” (1862), as well as allegorical pieces like “Art” (1876) and “Music” (1877).
It was Sarri’s renowned series “Pompeianas,” created from 1875 to 1887, that catapulted him to fame. These sought-after paintings depict intimate family moments against classical Roman or Pompeian architecture, often featuring a devoted mother and her children. The compositions skilfully incorporate neoclassical elements, such as Klismos chairs and incense burners.
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