Guess the Artwork

Sogni - Dreams by Vittorio Matteo Corcos (1896), Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome.

Vittorio Matteo Corcos (Livorno, 4 October 1859 - Florence, 1933) was an Italian painter, known mostly for his portraits. Many of his works depict winsome and finely dressed young men and women, in moments of repose and recreation.

He also painted portraits of Mussolini; actress Eleonora Duse, Countess Annina Morosini; Countess Nerina Volpi di Misurata; Carducci, Puccini and Mascagni; Amelie d'Oreleans, Queen of Portugal.

He probably painted 'Sogni' during the spring of 1896 and soon after presented it at the Esposizione Internazionale Artistica (International Art Exhibition) in Florence, where it was purchased for the gallery.

'Sogni' is the most famous work of Corcos, and it has now become famous on its own right,  often overshadowing its author.

The young woman portrayed here is Elena Vecchi, daughter of a friend of the painter, Jack La Bolina (pseudonym of Augusto Vecchi), a former naval officer and writer whose works were inspired by his sailing around the world.

The young woman spent his teenage years with Corcos' family and it is believed that she also had a relationship with the painter.

When the portrait first appeared at the exhibition in 1897, it impressed both the public and critics; it portrayed the image of a modern, confident young woman, which had often been represented in literature, but rarely in paintings.