163
I barbari, Early 20th century
Oil on canvas
Height x width with frame: 63 x 115 cm
The scene depicts a procession of barbarian warriors storming a classical city, with architectural ruins and an ancient-style colonnade visible in the background. The theme is part of the artistic trend of “barbarian invasions” and the fall of Rome, widely popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Signed “A.G. STOPPOLONI” in the lower left corner.
The female figure in a white dress, seated in a submissive posture on the left, most likely represents an allegory of Roman civilization, or of the city itself, captured at the moment of its fall, set in contrast to the impetuosity of the group of horsemen advancing from the right: this visual contrast forms the dramatic and moral fulcrum of the scene.
The rapid brushwork is consistent with a sketch or preparatory study, perhaps intended for a larger-scale version or a mural/monumental decoration, as the painting’s lunette shape also suggests.
Signed “A.G. STOPPOLONI” in the lower left corner.
Literature:
G.G. Massara (a cura di), Augusto Guglielmo Stoppoloni. 1855-1936. Opere, catalogo della mostra, Galleria Bellomonte, Torino, 1992, p. 44.
G.G. Massara (a cura di), Augusto Guglielmo Stoppoloni. 1855-1936. Opere, catalogo della mostra, Galleria Bellomonte, Torino, 1992, p. 44.
€ 2.500,00 / 3.500,00
Estimate
1.500,00 €
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Live auction 394
ANCIENT FURNITURE AND WORKS OF ART FROM 16th TO 20th CENTURY
Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, thu 17 September 2026
SINGLE SESSION 17/09/2026 Hours 15:00