"Nella Cantina" Vatican Stone Mosaic Plaque After Francesco Vinea
This mosaic stone plaque, purchased from the Vatican studio in the 1960s, is entitled "Nella Cantina" (In the Wine Cellar), after the oil painting by Francesco Vinea (Italian, 1945-1902). It resides in a modern frame measuring 19.5 by 24.5 inches. Plaque measures approximately 15 by 20 inches. Since the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the Vatican studios have created magnificent micromosaics, commonly depicting famous paintings by Italian and other continental artists. Vinea trained under Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier (1815-1891) at l' Academie de Florence. His studio was based in Florence and he exhibited regularly at the Paris Salons, and at galleries throughout Italy. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in the 1870s and 1880s. He is known for his playful and romantic genre scenes, completed in oil on both panel and canvas. His works are held by many important institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Gallery of Modern art in Florence, and the Milan Museum.