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Figurative Art between the 19th and 20th Centuries / Important Paintings from Private Collections

Thursday 18 June 2026, 04:00 PM • Rome

138

Adolfo de Carolis

(Montefiore dell'Aso 1874 - Roma 1928)

Studies for the frontispiece for Gabriele D'Annunzio's "Notturno", 1921

Estimate

€ 600 - 900

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€ 600

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At auction on Thursday 18 June 2026 at 16:00

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Information

pencil and ink on cardboard, double-sided, unframed
20.5 x 28.7 cm

Provenance

Cornelio Di Marzio Collection, Rome;
Di Marzio heirs, Rome;
private collection.

The fruit of a twenty-year friendship with Gabriele D'Annunzio and years of work for the Treves brothers of Milan, Adolfo De Carolis's illustrations for D'Annunzio's Notturno represent one of his moments of greatest maturity as an illustrator. The Art Nouveau and Pre-Raphaelite influences associated with the In Arte Libertas movement are streamlined by the specifics of the woodcut technique, resulting in elegant figures with clean-cut profiles that are nonetheless in tune with the Italian Renaissance tradition. This study and the following ones (lots 138-141) provide insight into the creative process that led to the final woodcuts. The composition of the page and the poses of the figures had to be perfectly clear in the artist's mind before proceeding to the actual engraving, also because, unlike a copper plate, wood is unforgiving. These sketches therefore represent an essential phase in the creation of those illustrations inextricably linked to D'Annunzio's imagery.

Contact

info@finarte.it 023363801

Condition report

To request a Condition Report, please contact info@finarte.it The department will provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that what Finarte declares with respect to the state of conservation of the objects corresponds only to a qualified opinion and that we are not professional conservators or restorers. We urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. We always suggest prospective buyers to inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition during the exhibition days as indicated in the catalog.