Portrait of Father Leonardo Aldi
The painting, dated 1885, portrays Father Leonardo Aldi, the painter’s uncle and the parish priest of Porto Santo Stefano, called by the townspeople “Prete Ruscetto” (“Prickly Priest,” after the name of the thorny plant Ruscus aculeatus, butcher’s broom) because of the fatherly slaps he handed out to the young boys
Study for a Woman’s Face
This strongly characterized portrait recalls the faces of the women in the painting of Sienese Women Working on the Fortifications in Preparation for a Siege, presented by Aldi in 1878 to the Società di Esecutori di Pie Disposizioni in Siena in order to obtain an extension of his Biringucci fellowship,
Portrait of a Man
This intense portrait is one of the many studies made by Aldi for the painting The Triumph of Judith, presented in 1888 at the Vatican Exposition in honor of Pope Leo XIII. The clothing and physiognomy indicate that the subject is one of the Hebrews meditating on the final moment
Self-portrait in Profile Wearing a Hat
Aldi portrays himself in profile, in civilian clothes, to include his own image in the mural of The Meeting at Teano he painted in 1886 in the Risorgimento Room of the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Next to his face is that of his beloved teacher, Luigi Mussini, and of Ettore
Study of Horses
This study can be linked to the horses standing under an open shelter in the mural of The Meeting between Radetzky and Victor Emanuel II at the Farmhouse in Vignale, held to negotiate the terms of the defeat at Novara. Aldi’s attention to detail in order to produce a faithful
The Meeting between Radetzky and Victor Emanuel II at the Farmhouse in Vignale
This is the final oil sketch for the mural painted in 1887 in the Risorgimento Room of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, showing the meeting held at a farmhouse in Vignale on 26 March 1849 between the Austrian Marshall Radetzky and Victor Emanuel II to negotiate an armistice after the defeat
Portrait of Victor Emanuel II
At lower left is the signature “P.Aldi”; at lower right, written in pencil: “Dal ritratto del Prof. M. Gordigiani” (“after the portrait by Prof. M. Gordigiani”) inv. 27 The painting is a copy of the portrait of the king painted by Michele Gordigiani (now in the Museo del Risorgimento in
Apotheosis of Victor Emanuel II Crowned by the Fatherland
As part of the celebrations organized for the death of King Victor Emanuel II, Aldi presented this complex allegory which shows the king being crowned by a personification of Italy. Close to the throne are the personages who supported him (recognizable among them are Cavour, Garibaldi, Bettino Ricasoli, and Ubaldino
Still Life with Fur and Lute
This work, shown at the annual exhibition of the Istituto di Belle Arti in Siena, is a typical academic exercise on the theme of draperies, set up by the teacher with objects belonging to the school. In the background is a copy of the Self-portrait by Perugino in the Uffizi,
Drawing Room of Palazzo Corsini in Rome with a Sideboard
During restoration in 1998, it was determined that these two paintings were one sole canvas, made for the purpose of recording the furnishings of Palazzo Corsini alla Lungara before its sale to the Italian government. Especially notable is Aldi’s skill in depicting fabrics, ceramics, and fine wood with precision. These
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