Italy
Circa 1840
Oil on canvas, laid on a board
23.5” x 35”
A busy scene of the Port of Livorno in Italy, beautifully illustrating the volume of trade that was conducted there in the mid-19th century. On the right is a ship with an American flag loading large chunks of marble. At this time, American merchants from the Northeast established a robust trade with Livorno- nicknamed “Leghorn”. Wealthy and cosmopolitan, the free port was an attractive destination for American merchants in a competitive Mediterranean market, particularly after the subjugation of the Barbary pirates. American ships carried mainly re-exported West Indian goods such as sugar, coffee and cocoa and returning home with marble, olive oil and silks. The famous white marble from the quarries at Carrera was shipped from the Port of Livorno among others and fed the 19th century building passion for classical national, state and local public buildings.
Condition: Minor restoration to the frame.
