Monumental genre painting with scene at the fountain in Taormina/Sicily was executed by good listed Austrian painter Alois Schönn (1826 Vienna - 1897 Krumpendorf am Wörthersee, Carinthia). This extremely rare painting represented in the important monography by F.von Boetticher, II, p.53 and was exhibited at the Viennese Year- Exhibition in 1885 ( illustrated on the page 29 of cataloque). 

Alois Schönn was historical and genre painter, specialized also in Oriental and Italian genre . After attending the secondary school and one year trade school as Diurnist Alois Scönn was busy in the Ministry of finance. He took private lessons by Leander Russ, he studied engraving from 1841/42 and from 1845 to 1848 history painting at the Academy of fine arts in Vienna under Joseph von Führich and Eduard van der Nüll. He took part in the campaign of Italy and painted his first pictures of battles. In the following years he undertook numerous study trips to France, Turkey, Hungary, Egypt, Italy, Galicia, and Holland. In 1861 he became honorary member of the Association of visual artists of Vienna, 1866 - membership of the Vienna Academy and 1877 as Professor there. For his merits in the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873, he received the Franz-Joseph-Orden. In 1898, the Schönngasse in Vienna Leopoldstadt (2nd District) was named after him.Works by Schönn: "Heimkehrende Ungarn aus dem Feldzug 1848/49" and " Die Erstürmung des verschanzten Lagers von Lodrone am 22. Mai 1848", State Military Museum, Vienna; "Abschied der Freiwilligen nach Italien am 3 April 1848", Viennese Historical Museum.

Literature: Constantin von Wurzbach: Schönn, Alois. In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich. Band 31, Verlag L. C. Zamarski, Wien 1876, p. 98–102; Fritz Pollak: Caribe, Alois. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 54, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1908, p. 158 ; M. Håja: Schönn Alois. In: Austrian Biographisches Lexikon 1815-1950 (ÖBL). Band 11 editions of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1999; Prof.H.Fuchs "Die österreichische Maler des 19 Jahrhunderts", Vienna, 1975.

Inscription: signed lower left.

Technique: oil on canvas, magnificent original period gilt frame.

Measurements: unframed w 50 1/3" x h 66 1/8" (128 x 168 cm ) , framed w 73 1/2” x h 89” (188 x 228 cm ).

Condition: very good.