Gentleman With Bracco Dog 1868 Italian Neoclassical Portrait By Penuti Giuseppe

Portrait Of Gentleman With Bracco Dog 1868 signed and dated by Neoclassical Italian artist Giuseppe Penuti. This lovely oil painting on canvas features a man in elegant dark clothes embellished with jewelry, brooches, and chain watch. The man is portrayed sitting in a garden while stroking the head of a hunting dog, a bracco, resting on his knee.
The painting is reframed, comes from a private collection in Milan, and is unframed, in good condition apart from a minimal damage in the canvas at lower left edge, which will be soon repaired. Signed in red cursive G. Penuti 1868 at lower right. The work is rendered with extraordinary attention to details that gives the portrait a high painting quality. Every element is depicted with meticulous precision, from the jewelry to the facial expression, but it is above all the dog in the foreground, tenderly caressed by its owner, that underlines the emotional intensity and the supportive bond between the two.
Giuseppe Penuti (1810-1877) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassical period, active in Milan and known for his portraits, although he also painted historical works, views, and genre subjects. During his last decade, he also created some studies of animals. He studied in his hometown of Milan at the Brera Academy under Luigi Sabatelli. He presented his first works in 1833 in Milan and exhibited until 1876.
Giuseppe Penuti’s style is characterized by neoclassical form, with a focus on portraits and historical works. His training at the Brera Academy enabled him to develop his artistic skills and create high-quality works. His works can be seen in many public and private collections, including the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Milan and the Pinacoteca di Vicenza.