Malaspina - Giusti's portraits

Both paintings are signed and dated “Aug. Ugolini Pinx. 1790”, the first on the dial of the clock so brand and year of manufacture, while the second signature and date are on the nut that connects the table top with the leg tapered in perfect Louis XVI style.
The two paintings are an extraordinary example of portraiture and an exceptional document of the costume of the time. The accurate description of luxury objects expresses a refined taste and lover of luxury, underlined by the richness of the fabric of the dress of the lady; the letter resting on the table in the second portrait is addressed to "Monsieur le Comte [...] Verone", next to it is an edition of Virgil’s work. Book, paper, pen and the little sword are symbols of the social rank and cultural level of the character portrayed. The child portrayed is the eldest son of Teresa and Gomberto Giusti, Carlo-Giuseppe, born in 1786.