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The Hopeless Case

Antonio Rotta (Italian, 1828-1903) (Artist)
1871
oil on fabric
(18th and 19th Centuries )

A young girl wearing a typical Venetian shawl listens stoically as the shoemaker reports upon the hopeless condition of her boot. The artist has depicted this cluttered interior with characteristic detail.

Rotta was born in Italy, and attended to Academy of Fine Arts of Venice in 1828. He showed work in the Exposition of Fine Arts in Milan in 1853, and won a medal in 1878 at the Exhibition of the Salon of Paris. He often painted tender scenes, including children or the elderly.

Inscription

[Signature] At lower right: Antonio Rotta; [Date] At lower right: Venezia 1871

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Anton Ritter von Oelzelt Sale, Vienna, November 18, 1878, no. 64 [as "Niente da Fare"]; William T. Walters, Baltimore, 1878, by purchase [Geroge A. Lucas as agent]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894, by inheritance; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Exhibitions

2014-2016 From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
1979 A Baltimorean in Paris: George A. Lucas, 1860-1909. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

Conservation

Date Description Narrative
1/1/1978 Examination examined for exhibition
4/25/1978 Treatment coated; lined; re-housed; varnish removed or reduced
4/27/1978 Examination examined for exhibition
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Geographies

Italy (Place of Origin)

Measurements

H: 25 x W 20 1/2 in. (63.5 x 52 cm); Framed H: 38 1/16 × W: 34 1/2 × D: 5 1/2 in. (96.6 × 87.7 × 14 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by William T. Walters, 1878

Location in Museum

Not on view

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

37.182

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Related Objects

Image for Frame for Rotta, The Hopeless Case

Frame for Rotta, The Hopeless Case

Antonio Rotta (Italian, 1828-1903)
n. d.
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Hours

  • Wednesday—Sunday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 1–8 p.m.
  • Monday—Tuesday: Closed

Location

600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD
21201

Phone

410-547-9000

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