Lesti, Lesti al Timone

Lesti, Lesti al Timone   is a beautiful hand-watercolored lithograph, realized in 1848 by the Italian satirical artist Antonio Masutti (Aviano, 1813 - Turin, 1895).

Title printed in capital letters on the lower margin at the center Lesti, Lesti al timone che il primo timoniere sta alle gabbie (Quick, quick let's go to the steer because the first helmsman is at the cages).

This satirical original print represents metaphorically the Italy of the Risorgimento period as a boot sailing the rough sea under the flag of " Liberty, Religion and Fraternity " . The boot reports at the center a date in Roman numerals: " MDCCCXVIII ", therefore still wrong as the " L " is missing. For different reasons, and according to the British Museum, the dating of this original print has to be 1848.

This old master's print derives from an original drawing from a collection of 106 drawings, related to the Roman satirical journal Il Don Pirlone , for which Masutti worked, now preserved at the British Museum.

In very good conditions, with a usual yellowing of the paper and some minor stains on the higher right corner and lower right corner.

Antonio Masutti (Aviano, 1813 - Turin, 1895)

Antonio Masutti was an Italian painter, draftsman, engraver, lithographer, illustrator and caricaturist. From a poor and numerous family, Masutti manages to redeem himself: his talent is discovered almost by chance and confirmed by several prizes that he wins between 1830 and 1834. From 1839 he works at the Kier printing plant. He makes illustrations for the Strenna Triestina for the editions of 1839 and 1840.

He moves to Rome, first to continue his academic career, then changes his mind, entering the group of engravers and illustrators that revolved around the figure of the intellectual and patriot Michelangelo Pinto . For the latter he makes the drawings for the satirical newspaper Il Don Pirlone , of which 106 are now preserved at the British Museum in London. He knows the Piedmontese group: the engraver Enrico Parmiani who puts him in contact with Agostino Lauro.

Following Pinto he moves to Turin in 1849. He continues to work for Pinto at Il Don Pirlone in Rome. Starting from 1851, he illustrates the Pantheon of the martyrs of Italian freedom . For the Turin bourgeoisie, he begins creating miniature portraits for which he receives good feedback. In 1856, he illustrates the New Mysteries of Contemporary Rome , one of his most important illustrative works. He establishes a close relationship with Cavour, of whom he makes many portraits. Between 1860 and 1863, he illustrates the History of Italy by Giuseppe La Farina and the five volumes of Pietro Corelli La Stella d'Italia or Nove Secoli di Casa Savoia . He comes into contact with the major Risorgimento writers for whom he workes as an illustrator: in addition to Prati, also Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi and Antonio Ranieri. His portrait of King Vittorio Emanuele II, engraved by Agostino Lauro, gets a national resonance. Vittorio Emanuele II gives him the title of "knight".