Antonio Joli (Modena 1700 - Naples 1777) - Architectural Caprice with Ruins and Figures.

Antonio Joli (Modena 1700 - Naples 1777) - Architectural Caprice with Ruins and Figures. 54 x 69 cm (unframed) - 74 x 89 cm (framed). Oil on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame. Attestations: Prof. Dario Succi, Gorizia (critical statement attached). Antonio Joli, born in Modena around 1700, trained under the perspective painter Raffaello Rinaldi before moving to Rome, where he absorbed the lessons of Pannini. Active in Venice from 1732, he worked as a set designer in the city's main theaters before embarking on an international career that took him to London, the Spanish court, and finally Naples, where he was appointed chief set designer for the Royal Theatre of San Carlo and established himself as a view painter serving high-ranking patrons. The painting depicts an architectural capriccio enlivened by figures in a landscape opening onto the sea. Monumental ruins are arranged in the foreground, including a large urn on a pillar supported by sphinxes, broken columns, and dilapidated architraves, creating a stage-like setting in the style of Pannini. The composition opens diagonally toward the middle ground, where the remains of a marble palace emerge, dissolving into the bluish luminosity of a bay with a fortress and sailing vessels. The figures—ladies strolling, a wayfarer with a dog, a guardian opening a gate—are integrated with the author's customary narrative ease, linking the characters to the scenery in a balance between reality and invention. The painting dates to the final phase of Joli's career, with evident affinities to works housed in the royal palaces of Naples and Caserta, dated around 1776. Condition Report: Relined canvas. Good condition of the painted surface. All shipments within the EU are free and professionally packed. This item is sold with a legally valid certificate of authenticity. Further details on the condition report are available upon request. Viezzi Arte guarantees quality and professionalism at competitive prices, contact us at [email protected] or via WhatsApp at +39 3402841279. Message to non-Italian buyers: This artwork has not yet obtained the free export certificate from Italy, issued by the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage, which certifies that the artwork does not belong to Italian cultural heritage and can therefore be freely exported. Regulations in force from 2026 provide for reduced timelines for works with a declared value of less than €50,000, determined at the discretion of the expert commission: averaging 2-3 weeks from the submission of the request. All costs related to this procedure are included in the price. Disclaimer Rendering: The setting images are generated by AI for illustrative purposes and may not respect the actual proportions of the artwork.