L'Accuccia (The Little Squat / Sleeping Child)
Painting on canvas • Antonio Mancini (Italian, 1852–1930)
Style & Movement
Verismo / Italian Realism (closely associated with the Macchiaioli legacy and a precursor to early 20th-century figurative modernism).
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; characterized by highly expressive, rapid brushwork, heavy impasto, and a 'macchiaioli' influenced style focusing on tonal patches (macchie). Techniques include wet-on-wet application and scratching into the paint surface.
Creation Period
Circa 1888-1890
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 120 x 90 cm; Portrait format.
Subject Description
The portrait features a young Italian street boy (scugnizzo), a recurring motif in Mancini's work. The boy is depicted with a melancholic, direct gaze, wearing ragged, layered clothing. To his left is a decorative, possibly religious or carnival-related assembly including dried wheat and flowers, reflecting the artist's interest in the contrast between impoverished reality and ornate decorative objects.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good; visible age-appropriate craquelure and significant accumulation of impasto which is stable but delicate.
Estimated Market Value
$80,000 - $120,000 USD
Auction Estimate
$60,000 - $90,000 USD
Provenance History
Likely originated from a private collection in Naples or Rome, where Mancini was most active. Mancini's work was famously supported by patron Hendrik Willem Mesdag, suggesting potential Dutch or English market history through the early 20th century.
Art Historical Significance
Antonio Mancini was hailed by John Singer Sargent as the greatest living painter. This work exemplifies Mancini's transition from academic realism to a highly personal, textural language that challenged the boundaries of traditional representation in the late 19th century.
Notable Features
Extreme use of 'pasticciate' (thick paint application); the boy's soulful expression is a hallmark of Mancini's psychological depth; the inclusion of reflective or metallic-looking elements in the costume details.
Condition Issues
Visible craquelure in the heavier white and red lead pigments; slight yellowing of old varnish; potential minor surface grime in the deep recesses of the impasto.
Conservation Recommendations
Surface cleaning by a professional conservator specializing in late 19th-century impasto; UV-filtering glass or acrylic glazing recommended due to the fragility of the paint layers; climate-controlled environment (50% RH).