Portrait of Ester Bazzoni Pasini

Ester Bazzoni (1863-1933), daughter of an entrepreneur in the tanning sector, Lady of the Red Cross at the front during World War I, in the will allocates 500,000 lire to the Ospedale Maggiore for the construction of a Pavilion in memory of her husband, Erasmo Pasini industrialist, and 100,000 lire in memory of his son Mario, who died of illness at the age of twenty-seven, after having spent three years on the Karst as a volunteer, asking, in addition to his own, a portrait of both relatives. Esther's portrait commission is entrusted to Salvatore Corvaya: at first it should have been executed by Eugenia Majocchi Bosone, who is then instead charged with painting that of her husband. All artists' names are suggested by the benefactor's family. The Corvaya painting is characterized by bright yet realistic colors; a carpet that is present in many other paintings by the artist is clearly visible: it was placed in his studio and for a long time he then kept it in his house.