Ignacio Manzoni

IGNACIO MANZONI (Milan, 1797 - Clusone, 1884).
"In the tavern".
Oil on canvas.
Presents old label on the back.
Measurements: 59 x 47 cm; 70 x 58 cm (frame).

Ignacio Manzoni recreates in this painting a nocturnal scene of interior in which a group of soldiers stuffed in armors of the seventeenth century are crowded around a table in which a young woman serves them wine. The tipsy faces and red noses of the men contrast with the deep sadness that pervades the face and languid gestures of the young woman. The meticulous description of the attire stands out, the brightness of the breastplates and helmets with plumes of feathers, the transparencies of the crystal, the puffed satin sleeves... The moonlight crosses the doorway and brings out the right shines and qualities to the costumes, displaying them with intense chiaroscuro.

Ignacio Manzoni was an Italian painter who settled in Buenos Aires for a period of time, reaping over time an important success for his paintings. His work abounded in religious and historical themes, landscapes, portraits and still lifes, and his paintings are currently exhibited in the main museums of Argentina. He studied painting at the Brera Academy in Milan. He fought against the Austrians in 1848 and after the defeat he had to go into exile in Switzerland, although he was later able to return to Milan, thanks to an amnesty. He was already a recognized master when he arrived in Buenos Aires in 1851. His still lifes were at first coldly received, but later he won over the Buenos Aires public. In any case, he decided to remain in the Argentine environment, making permanent trips around the world (USA, Europe, Peru and Chile). In 1857 he settled in Buenos Aires, where in time he was highly acclaimed for his work as a portraitist and for his portraits, genre, religious and anecdotal themes. He also devoted himself to private teaching, forming disciples such as José María Gutiérrez. With the oil painting "El asado", Ignacio Manzoni won the first prize for painting at the First National Exhibition, held in Cordoba (1871), at the request of President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. The painting was originally titled "Gaucho porteño in attitude of teaching a foreigner the peculiar way he has of cutting the asado". He died in Clusone, his native town.