The portrait of Raffaello Foresi

In the years between 1860 and 1870, Antonio Ciseri's fame was well established and documented by the important commissions and significant remuneration he received. These were the years of his social, cultural and economic success, in which he was awarded the position of member of the Superior Council of Public Education. This role led him to travel often to Rome where he met important figures and forged strong relationships. During this period he produced numerous portraits, including that of Raffaello Foresi, an Italian scholar originally from Portoferraio and the founder of the Foresiana Art Gallery, who is portrayed with great intensity. Depicted frontally, Foresi emerges from a white curtain reminiscent of an opulent Renaissance background. His black jacket and hat provide a stark contrast, his gaze is deep and his face is shadowed by a thick beard. His hands are depicted in the foreground: the right hand clenched into a fist conveys his confident character, while in the left there is a glimpse of a lit cigar, revealing the tastes and habits of a nineteenth-century high society gentleman.

Documents show that Ciseri painted no less than two portraits of Raffaello Foresi, both of which are kept in the Foresiana Art Gallery. The work on display was begun by the artist on 23 March 1868, but the exact date of its completion is unknown. Thanks to correspondence discovered, we do however know that it was finished quickly, as the work was already in the client's home on 22 April of that year, generating astonishment and admiration in his family. We also learnt from the letter that Foresi, in agreement with the artist, sent the work back, presumably for retouches and adjustments, and that the official delivery took place in 1871.

The work was part of Mario Foresi’s donation to the town of Portoferraio in 1914.