Giovanni Battista Torriglia (Italian, 1858–1937)
The Spinner
Oil on canvas
32 × 25 in.
Frame: 37¾ × 30½ × 2 in.
Signed lower left: G. B. Torriglia
Bathed in a shaft of natural light, a young woman sits absorbed in the quiet rhythm of spinning, her figure modeled with warmth against a subdued interior. Torriglia carefully orchestrates light and shadow, allowing the illuminated window, pale linen, and polished wood of the spinning wheel to guide the eye through the composition. The scene is intimate and contemplative, emphasizing domestic labor as a moment of calm concentration rather than toil. Subtle details—the soft sheen of wool, the basket at her feet, and the devotional image on the wall—anchor the painting in everyday life while lending it a quiet dignity.
Giovanni Battista Torriglia was an Italian painter best known for genre scenes that depict domestic interiors and rural life with sensitivity and realism. Active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he combined academic training with a naturalistic approach to light and color, often focusing on moments of work, rest, and reflection. Torriglia’s paintings reflect a broader European interest in genre subjects that celebrate craftsmanship and tradition, rendered with technical refinement and emotional restraint.
Provenance: New Orleans Auction Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2020, lot 111; Private collection, Beverly Hills, California.
