Male Portrait signed Gennaro Befanio (Naples, 1866 - Paris, 1937), Dated 1936

Male Portrait, Signed Gennaro Befanio (Naples, 1866 - Paris, 1937), Dated 1936

This male portrait, painted in oil on canvas, is signed G. Befanio in the upper left corner and dated 1936. Likely one of the artist’s final works, it depicts a distinguished gentleman with a fine mustache, dressed in an elegant gray suit with bordeaux trimming, a white shirt, and a white pocket square. The composition, created with soft brushstrokes and a subtle use of light, reflects Befanio’s artistic evolution, blending late French Impressionist influences with his roots in Neapolitan verism.

Trained under Filippo Palizzi, Befanio initially adopted a verist style, characterized by short brushstrokes and vibrant chromaticism. After moving to Paris in 1899, he incorporated Impressionist and Post-Impressionist techniques, combining his realist foundation with a lighter palette and freer expression, resulting in works that balance tradition and modernity.

Biography: Gennaro Befanio (Naples, 1866 - Paris, 1937) was the nephew of Achille Formis, a renowned landscape painter, and a student of Filippo Palizzi at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. After an early career in Naples and Milan, he moved to Paris, where he achieved widespread success among critics and collectors. Befanio exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes Français, earning multiple awards, including a gold medal and the title Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1920. His works, ranging from landscapes to genre scenes and refined portraits like this one, reflect his ability to merge traditional techniques with contemporary styles. Notable collectors included Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who acquired After the Rain.

Dimensions:

With frame: 77 cm x 66 cm

 Without frame: 65 cm x 54 cm

Frame: Modern gilt wooden frame, simple and elegant, perfectly complementing the painting’s refined character.

Condition: Minor abrasions are visible in the photos, but the surface remains well-preserved and fully legible.

Notes: Dated 1936, this portrait highlights Befanio’s artistic maturity, combining the verist techniques of his Neapolitan heritage with the Impressionist aesthetics he developed during his Parisian career.