Lot Essay
John Califano was born in Rome and studied in Naples under Domenico Morelli. In the 1880s, Califano moved to the United States and exhibited his work at The Society of Independent Artists, The National Academy of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago. Califano is best known for his genre and still-life paintings, ranging from peasant scenes to upper-class interiors, like The Love Letter executed circa 1890.