Born in Genoa in 1857, Giovanni Battista Torriglia eventually moved to Florence to complete his artistic training. Unlike many studio artists of the time, he received a number of commissions to decorate the interiors of several churches in the towns of Salviola, Monte Fignoga, and Sestre Levante amongst others.

Best known as a genre painter, Torriglia was particularly revered for his sensitive depictions of domestic family life. His paintings generally involve multi-figured compositions and involve a strong narrative element. Like his contemporaries, Gaetano Chierici and Eugenio Zampighi, Torriglia was keen to show that happiness was not dependent on material wealth, clearly demonstrated by the joyous reception the ...