Charles Fantini 1851 Portrait De Femme French School Of The 19th Century Oil/canvas

In the autumn of 1886, the great painter Charles Fantini* chose Moulins as his place of work for a few months. He set up his studio at the Hôtel de Paris and stayed on rue François-Péron. At the Hôtel de Paris, ideally located on rue de Paris, one of Moulins' main entrances, he could hope to attract a wealthy clientele. To secure more publicity, he placed inserts in the local press to publicize his presence in town. He also uses the window of the Durond bookshop on rue Notre-Dame as a display stand.

Charles Fantini paints portraits on demand, which he delivers after four or five days. His commercial terms are advantageous. As he says himself, "such work is worth thousands and thousands of francs. I don't dare say at what miserable price I'm paid." His clientele includes Bourbonnais squires at whose homes he travels to execute his famous portraits, as in Broût-Vernet at M. L.

As proof of his talent, he exhibits several of his works in his home, including at least two faces of well-known Moulin women. Alongside them, a Florentine singer in vibrant colors and a strikingly truthful Jewish head, we're assured. His masterpiece depicts a full-length woman standing in front of a pedestal table, a book in her hands. Fantini is credited with perfect taste and a high level of professionalism.

Our painter knows how to be generous, as evidenced by his participation in the tombola to benefit those flooded by the Allier flood. He offers a portrait, which he undertakes to execute even remotely from a photograph, or during his stay in Vichy during the flood season. In December 1881, Fantini had already given a voucher worth 1,000 francs for an oil portrait to the winner of the Nice festival committee's tombola in aid of the victims of the Prado disaster**.

Charles Fantini left Moulins on January 15, 1887 for the Hôtel de France in Nantes, after having painted thirty-two portraits. In October, he returned to Montluçon in the Allier region.

*Carlo Fantini was born in 1851 in Chieri near Turin. That year, his father, a major fabric manufacturer, suffered the crisis of the Italian War of Independence and lost his fortune. Although destined to study law or medicine, he entered the academy in Turin, where his uncle was a professor of painting. He preferred learning drawing, painting, sculpture and architecture to scientific and literary courses. He had to hide this choice from his father, and relied on his uncle, who was convinced of his abilities. His teacher was Professor Gastaldi. The numerous awards he received confirmed his talent: first prize in drawing at the Turin academy's grand competition in 1867, first prize in ornament in 1867/68, first prize in composition and ornament in 1868/69, gold medal in general composition in 1869/70, gold medal in the grand competition, grand prize in plastic, painting and composition, grand prize in painting at the Turin exhibition in 1871.

Some of his works:

The Last Moments of Marguerite Pusterla

The Inquisition

Intimate Life

The Unhappy Artist

The Florentine Page

Portraits of. Victore Emmanuel and Princess Marguerite (future Queen of Italy)

Portrait of the Count of Cavour

from a large collection of an amateur from Lorraine

90 cm x 77 cm

a vue:

60 cm x 48 cm

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france: 40€
monde:65€
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