Ancient painting, school of Giacomo Francesco Cipper, 18th century

Oil on canvas. The painting style and subject recall the circle of Giacomo Francesco Cipper, known as Todeschini, an artist of Austrian origin based in Milan. He specialised in market scenes, open-air concerts, card players, and scenes of humble daily life, rendered with a playful caricature and a search for comic effect. This is the case in this work, which depicts a young commoner tending to two chickens placed in a basket on the table, while the knife beside him suggests he is about to sacrifice them! Cipper's characters, although humble, are characterised by a cheeky nature, manifested by their fixed gazes towards the viewer, drawing attention. This is also true here: the boy looks straight ahead, laughing and winking, seeking the viewer's approval, even complicity. The work can therefore be attributed to an artist very close to Cipper. It has been restored and re-canvas-mounted in the past. It is presented in a guilloché frame from the early 20th century.