Italian portrait oil painting by Raffaele Frigero

A fine Italian oil on canvas depicting a three-quarter length portrait of a man by the artist Raffaele Frigero 1875-1948. The work depicts in great detail the young man holding an olive oil jar on his shoulder very much in the romantic style. The artist Raffaelo Frigero did train at Naples Academy of Fine Arts but little else is known about him. It is most likely that he became a commercial artist in Naples depicting the Neapolitan people, so here we see the young Italian man superbly depicted in the backstreets of the city, caught in the sunlight creeping through the densely packed buildings. The vast majority of his work depicts older people and this piece is an exceptional work not only because of the quality but also because it depicts a younger man of Naples. The painting is in excellent condition having been lined, cleaned and a small professional repair made. The frame dates to the sixties and is in very good condition and of a suitably high quality. The whole is the finest example of this artist’s work and a great decorative portrait with a wonderful friendly presence. C.1900.
Overall sizes in inches including frame: 17 ¾ by 23 ¾