'Figure at the Piano' by Carlo Striccoli (circa 1960s)

'Figure at the Piano', oil on board, by Carlo Striccoli (circa 1960s). A quietly charged interior scene built around three figures captured in a moment of shared attention. At the piano, a young woman plays with practiced ease, her gaze directed toward her audience, or perhaps toward one particular person within it, who may even be you, the viewer. This is not a casual pastime but rather, something closer to a performance. Beside her, an elderly gentleman in formal dark dress leans against the top of the piano, his posture attentive and upright, his expression difficult to read but unmistakably engaged. Behind them both, a third woman sits in a long dress, her arms folded and her eyes closed - asleep, perhaps, or simply lost in the music. Whether visitor, chaperone, or quiet listener enjoying the performance with her eyes shut, her stillness lends a note of tranquility to what might otherwise read as a room charged with some mysterious, unspoken energy. The painting is in good overall condition and is newly framed with a linen slip. The artist signed the work in the lower right hand. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video will be provided.

Dimensions with frame:

H 60.8 cm / 23.9"

W 50.8 cm / 20"

Dimensions without frame:

H 50 cm / 19.7"

W 40 cm / 15.7"

About the Artist: Carlo Striccoli (1897-1980) was a significant Italian painter of the 20th century, and one of the principal figures of the Neapolitan Novecento movement. The son of the architect who designed Altamura's Teatro Mercadante, Striccoli was raised in a cultured household and showed early talent as both a poet and a violinist, performing at his father's theatre as a teenager. In 1914, he moved to Naples to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti, and graduated with distinction in painting in 1925–26. He exhibited widely and prominently throughout his career, including at the Venice Biennale (which dedicated a solo exhibition to him in 1940), the Rome Quadriennale, and the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et des Techniques in Paris, where he won a gold medal. His style evolved continuously over his career, moving from academic training into Expressionism, and edging toward Informalism in his final works. His paintings are held in major public collections, including the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, the Quadreria del Quirinale, and the Intesa Sanpaolo collection. He died in Arezzo in 1980.