Image of a rabbi wearing a skullcap and prayer shawl on carved wood base. Lines of Hebrew words behind the image.

Hello William,

Thank you very much for your appraisal inquiry!

The presented object appears to be a painting depicting a Jewish rabbi in front of a Hebrew text. It measures approximately 25 by 21.5 inches and has been attributed to Roberto Lupetti (Italian-American, 1918-1997) due to the presence of a signature in the bottom right corner of the composition.

Roberto Lupetti was born in Milan, Italy and graduated from Brera Liceo Artistico, a prestigious art academy. He gained honors from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where he became a Professor of Fine Arts. He contributed to the restoration of the noted La Scala Opera House in Milan and the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

Sponsored by the famous composer Arturo Toscanini, Lupetti moved to America after World War II. His portrait of Toscanini was acquired by the San Francisco Art Commission. He settled in San Francisco, teaching at the Art Institute and embellishing churches across the U.S. Lupetti's portraits included celebrities like Ingrid Bergman, Barbara Stanwyck and General George Marshall. He was also known to paint several portraits of rabbis like the presented object.

This work was recently auctioned by John Moran in California in April and provides the best comparable: https://www.johnmoran.com/auction-lot/roberto-lupetti-1918-1997-portrait-of-a-rabbi-oil_34D468B9F1

Though retail and asking prices may vary, I would set the current fair market value of this painting at $400 to 600 USD.

Thanks again for your inquiry and please feel free to let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below.

Kind regards,
Anne