Contact gallery for price		Lionello Balestrieri Italian, 1874 – 1952 Devant l'Opéra, Paris Oil on canvas 13 x 18 inches (33 x 45.7 cm.) Framed: 21 x 26 inches Signed lower left: L. Balestrieri Provenance: Private collection, Texas   Lionello Balestrieri was born in Cetona in 1872 into a family of humble origins.  When his family moved to Rome he enrolled at the Istituto di Belle Arti and then at the same institution at Naples where he was taught by Domenico Morelli and, privately, by Gioacchino Toma.  In 1897 he moved to Paris where he earned his living as an illustrator.  As a result of his friendship with the musician Giuseppe Vannicola he became so drawn to the musical circle that the subject matter of his art was mainly either musicians or music. At the Esposizione Universale di Parigi in 1900 Balestrieri won a gold medal with the painting Beethoven and it was as a direct result of this prestigious award that, in spite of the fact he was still young, he obtained a highly esteemed post in the eyes of Italian artists, that of the President of the Society of Italian Artists working in Paris. Following the financial success of the gold medal work, in 1910 Balestrieri returned to Italy, to Cetona and to Naples to visit his teacher Domenico Morelli. During his stay in Naples he also got to know Salvatore di Giacomo and it was the start of a lasting friendship between them. In 1911 he went to Brittany where he had the opportunity to observe the work of the Pont-Aven artists who certainly influenced him, so much so that following this trip his work shows a lightening of his palette and in the same way he was attracted to the predominant style of this period - Art Nouveau. When the War broke out in 1914 Lionello Balestrieri moved to Naples and that same year he was appointed Director of the Museo Industriale and then also of the Istituto delle Arti Industriali. In the first two decades of the 20th century Balestrieri's themes became increasingly Futuristic.  Indeed he took part in the Venice Biennial together with the Futurists in 1926.  Following this avant-garde period he returned to the study of life, exhibiting in 1930 at the XVII Biennial.  At the end of the 30's he left Naples and returned to Cetona until his death in 1954. Devant l'Opéra, Paris is a lovely example of Balestrieri’s work. Here the artist presents the viewer with a lively Parisian night scene. Pedestrians in early 20th century dress bustle about a square on their way to their different destinations for the evening. In the foreground a woman in a striking black and white hat that matches the frilly collar of her jacket holds a large dog by its collar and marches purposefully along. In the left background a carriage led by a white horse crosses the square. These large touches of white (in the woman’s clothing, and the horse) stand out against a palette mainly composed of neutral grays, browns, and blacks. This neutral palette, especially the golden browns found in the depicted buildings, lends a glowing warmth to this work. Balestrieri’s application of paint has a certain softness to it that almost reminds one of pastel rather than oil paint. This is truly a gem of a painting.