This early 20th-century oil painting by Italian artist Carlo Francolini (1840-1930) depicts a Carthusian monk holding several bottles of wine while standing in a monastery setting.

Francolini worked predominantly in Florence and would’ve been well aware of the rich tradition of wine-making in the rolling Tuscan hills. Monasteries needed wine for their various rituals, so monks became well-versed in planting and cultivating vines. One particularly delicious variety is Tuscan Vin Santo, a treacly dessert wine used to celebrate mass. Vin Santo translates as ‘Holy Wine’ and it’s probably the golden elixir we see here.

Signed/dated lower right and framed.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 18” x 29½” / 46cm x 75cm
Year of creation: c. 1910
Labels & Inscriptions: Auction references on reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, Slovakia.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. One patched repair.
Our reference: BRV1810