Brazio Buggiani

Identity:

Orazio Buggiani was a carver, gilder and picture restorer at 86 Oxford Street, West London. He was married, but no wife is listed in the 1881 census.

Life:

In March 1879 Whistler gave Buggiani a character reference in order that he might gain entrance into the Reading Room of the British Museum [#09249]. Whistler was on very good terms with Buggiani. According to a letter from Whistler to Mrs Rawlinson in November 1878, Buggiani was employed to varnish Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Battersea Reach y119. In this letter Whistler declared that he was 'greatly gifted in all understanding of pictures' and recommended that if she had any old master works that needed to be cleaned or restored, he was the man [#08122]. Whistler described him to J. E. Boehm in 1878 as having 'passed his days with the old Masters' [#00322] and considered calling him as a witness during his bankruptcy proceedings [#11895]. In 1881 he was recorded as at 86 Oxford Street, West London.

Bibliography:

UK census 1881.