Overview
A large-scale, atmospheric oil on canvas depicting a pastoral scene in the Italian Alps, featuring a peasant woman and cattle beneath a canopy of birch trees.
Identification
Leonardo Roda (Italian, 1868–1933) Alpine Landscape with Cattle
Photo reference
4 uploaded photos
Story
Leonardo Roda's sweeping alpine canvases capture the rugged, atmospheric beauty of the Piedmontese and Aosta Valley mountains during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Maker / Origin
Based in Turin, Roda was famously devoted to the shifting moods of the Italian Alps, transitioning between rapid mountain-side sketches and monumental exhibition pieces.
Condition & Value
For late 19th-century works of this formidable size, maintaining a stable, unlined canvas free of severe craquelure is essential to realizing top-tier exhibition values. The painting appears to be in its original state with some expected surface grime and slight yellowing of the varnish.
Full Research
See what it's actually worth.
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Market Analysis
Valuation in Leonardo Roda's market is distinctly polarized by scale. While his prolific, small cardboard sketches frequently clear for under $800, canvases exceeding one meter in width are classified as exhibition works and command significant premiums. Direct comparables, such as 'A giornata finita' (120x170 cm) clearing between $3,200 and $4,300, and 'At the pasture' (140x101 cm) achieving up to $6,450, demonstrate the baseline for his large pastoral scenes. The subject item's specific inclusion of cattle and peasant figures acts as a commercial value multiplier compared to unpopulated, barren mountain views. The Fair Market Value range of $3,500 to $6,000 assumes the canvas is tight, unlined, and free of heavy structural restoration or unstable craquelure.
Value Drivers
▲ Monumental exhibition scale (110 x 160 cm), which places it in the uppermost tier of the artist's market output
▲ Highly desirable pastoral subject matter featuring cattle and peasant staffage
▲ Presence of signature ('L. Roda') consistent with auction-verified market examples
▲ Verso handwritten provenance note dated March 1955, anchoring the work's historical legacy
Concerns
▼ Surface condition and canvas tension (works exceeding 1.5 meters wide are highly prone to sagging, tearing, or requiring relining)
▼ Potential yellowed varnish masking original luminosity, a common issue with 100-year-old alpine paintings
▼ Craquelure instability or flaking in heavily impastoed areas, particularly in the white snowcaps
Best Venue
Finarte, Il Ponte Casa d'Aste, or Farsettiarte. Roda's strongest and most liquid collector base remains centered in Northern Italy.
Upside Potential
Confirmation of an unlined, structurally sound canvas and a professional cleaning that reveals vibrant alpine blues and greens could push the hammer price toward the upper edge of the estimate ($6,000+).
Authenticity Notice
Medium risk. While monumental reproductions of this exact scale are rare, physical verification of the paint layer and canvas weave is necessary to fully rule out an early oleograph. The verso handwritten note heavily supports its status as an original family piece.
The upgraded report is now attached to this item.