This beautiful weather is making us think of leisurely strolls and sun-drenched afternoons, and since nobody painted languid contentment quite like the 19th century Italian painter, Francesco Beda (1840-1900), we thought we’d highlight this painting of his in our New Vintage & Antique Finds series. This important oil on canvas entitled “A Royal Party on a Summer Afternoon” (which is in its original giltwood frame) was painted by Beda in Trieste, Italy. Beda was favorite of patrons who favored “costume genre subjects;” people in anachronistic costumes in attitudes of the kind of elegant ease depicted in this painting. Although the work is full of energy, largely driven by the whispered conversations and arrested attitudes of its subjects, the overall mood is of the idle pleasure and serenity that typify summer. Here’s hoping for a long one. See a detailed view here.
