The Eavesdroppers

Born in Modena in 1858, Vittorio Reggianini trained at the local art academy alongside Gaetano Bellei and Eugenio Zampighi under the watchful eye of his professor Antonio Simonazzi. Later promoted to professor of the same academy, he continued to participate in shows and won praise from local supporters. In 1885, he moved to Florence and it was during this period, supported by the local dealer Pisani, that Reggianini established himself on the international scene. Both the artist's subject matter and style of painting dramatically shifted from the local historical realism that characterized his early work to the new continental taste for paintings which recreated the opulent lifestyles and decor of the eighteenth century.